鳢属（Channa）是鳢科下的一个属，其下有33个种。包括乌鳢、小盾鳢的很多种都很出名。其分布极广，几乎遍及整个亚洲。其下的鱼除去食用外，还有药用价值，也是常见的观赏鱼。该属的鱼是食肉动物，以蛙、蛇、鸟以及啮齿类动物为食，可以呼吸空气。

Channa这一命名并不完善，关于其的研究也不甚全面，2010年种系发生研究显示，在东南亚可能还存在着未被描述的鳢属鱼类。 2011年6月，印支半岛的红鳢（Channa diplogramma）被发现是一个独立的本土物种，其亲缘关系可能与小盾鳢（Channa micropeltes）接近，大约952万到2176万年前是一个种。

Channa is a genus in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakehead. This genus contains 35 scientifically described species, but the most well known are probably the Northern snakehead (Channa argus) and the Giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes). Channa has a wide natural distribution extending from Iran in the west, to China in the east, and parts of Siberia in the Far East. They are one of the most common staple food fish in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and other South East Asian countries, where they are extensively cultured. Apart from their importance as a food fish, snakeheads are also consumed as a therapeutic for wound healing as well as reducing post-operative pain and discomfort, and collected for the international aquarium pet trade. The diets of various species of Channa include fish, frogs, snakes, rodents, birds and insects. Some can move on land like snakes and breathe air.