The Northern Snakehead is native to the waters of China, and possibly Korea and Russia. They are found in a wide variety of habitats and can breathe out of water from 3 to 7 days. Even though it is slow and typically unsuccessful, the Snakehead has the ability to move from one body of water to another by using its pectoral fins. They have sharp teeth like a pickerel or a pike and their maximum length can reach up to 33 inches. Coloration is generally tan with dark brown mottling. Snakehead have no natural predators in the U.S. and they are voracious carnivores. If you catch this fish, do not put it back in the water and call the nearest
DNR Operations Service Center.
Apparently they don't want it released, and what do you think the cops were gonna do with it? Put it in with their guppies???
Out of the water Snakeheads rhythmically move their fins and muscular bodies back and forth: the fish equivalent of walking . . . It's a resourceful adaptation. [In their native Asia they must survive both wet and dry weather cycles like monsoons and droughts.]
Snakeheads became the focus of a lot of media attention when living and breeding specimens were found wild in U.S. waters. The natural habitats for Snakeheads are located in Africa and South East Asia. Snakeheads are highly capable predators and will consume prey as large as half their own size. Snakeheads could therefore possibly disrupt the U.S. fauna and cause irreparable changes, since Snakeheads are not a natural part of the U.S. ecosystems. To avoid this from happening, importing Snakeheads to the U.S. is illegal since 2003.
Why would they be illegal if they were not a threat???
Why so much press just for a fish? The Northern Snakehead,
Channa argus, is no ordinary fish, biologists explain. It is a voracious top-level predator, meaning that it has no natural enemies, and could decimate populations of native fish. About 90% of its diet consists of other fish, though it also eats crustaceans, insects, and plants. In its native range it can live in water with temperatures ranging from 0 to 30 degrees C; it is found in muddy or vegetated ponds, swamps, and slow-moving streams. Snakeheads can breathe air and survive for up to four days out of water, and can survive for longer periods of time when burrowed in the mud. They are capable of traveling over land to new bodies of water by wriggling their bodies over the ground. These features are adaptations to the seasonal drying of shallow bodies of water in the snakeheads native habitat in China and allow it to disperse widely should local conditions become unfavorable. It is capable of surviving in much of North America should it become established. An established population of snakeheads in Maryland could have long-term disastrous consequences for the ecology of the region.
What should I do if I see or catch a snakehead?
- REPORT any caught or observed snakehead to DEC's regional fisheries office.
- If you catch one, DO NOT RELEASE it. Kill it immediately, freeze it and report your catch. Take a digital photo if possible
From: Northern Snakehead Fish - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Q: What can the public do to help fight this invasive species?
A: The Commission asks anglers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts not to transplant fish, game, non-game wildlife and plants. Exotic species of all types, not just snakeheads, pose a potential ecological risk when introduced into new ecosystems.
The N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission requests that anglers who think they have caught a snakehead, to keep it, freeze it or place it on ice.
From: Fishing FAQ: Northern Snakehead Fish
Not once have I seen "Release it, it's harmless," or "Put it in your home aquarium, it makes a GREAT pet."
If you want more info, I can post it for you....