It is one of the smaller species of snakehead and has a standard length of up to 19.4 cm (7.6 in).

[2] The specific name honors Sir Harcourt Butler, a British governor in the region.

[3] This was for a long time considered to be a junior synonym of Channa gachua.

The article on its revalidation[5] only mentions three discriminating features, such as the missing ocellus in the dorsal fin of a juvenile Channa harcourtbutleri.

It is suspected to be a mouthbrooder and eats a wide range of foods, including arthropods and small fish, but unlike in some relatives, no frogs.