Invasion of the Northern Snakehead

This native of Asia is extremely aggressive and has no natural predators. It can grow up to 3 feet long and survive out of water for several days, in fact it actually moves around on land and can move from one body of water to another on its own.

This fish has been spotted several times in North America, and small reproducing populations of snakeheads were discovered and subsequently destroyed in Maryland, California, and Florida. Individual fish have also been caught in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Hawaii. It was thought to be under control until this year.

In 2004, at least 14 specimens were taken from the Potomac river in Virginia. Scientists are concerned that their very presence in our waters are a real threat to the north american freshwater fisheries at large, indeed once a mature breeding population of northern snakeheads is established, it is virtually indestructible.