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Home::Environment
Snakeheads - A danger to our waterlife
Author : William Berg
Snakehead fish became famous when wild and breeding specimens of
this Asian predator was found in the United States. The fact
that the Snakehead fish can grow larger than one metre and is
highly adapted to low-oxygen waters and seasonal droughts
naturally made the newspapers print article after article about
this huge vicious predator fish that can breathe oxygen from the
air and travel vast distances on land. The Snakehead is however
not a ferocious baby-eater or pet dog attacker. There is a more
sensible reason behind the Snakehead bans that were eventually
issued by many of the U.S. states. Since the Snakehead is a very
capable predator that is not native to the U.S. fauna, it might
severely disrupt the ecosystem in regions where it is
introduced. It can for instance compete with American predators
for food or pose a treat to already endangered species that it
perceives as prey.
Snakeheads are also known as Channa fish since they belong to
the family Channa. The family Channa contains a wide range of
different Snakehead species, e.g. Channa nox (Night Snakehead ),
Channa asiatica (Chinese Snakehead) and Channa amphibeus (Chel
Snakehead). Their native habitats are found in Asia and Africa.
Another name for Snakehead fish is Frankenfish. It is possible
to keep Snakeheads in aquariums, but you should always find out
how large the Snakehead species that you are interested in will
grow before you buy it. Snakeheads grow very fast and some
species will grow larger than one meter, which makes them
unsuitable for most hobbyist aquariums. It is believed that the
wild and breeding Snakeheads that were found in the United
States originated from Snakeheads that had been released by
their owners when the Snakeheads grew to large for their
aquarium or when they required more food than the aquarists was
willing to pay for. In Asia, the Snakehead is a very popular
food fish and another rumor tells the story about the Asian
immigrant that imported a Snakehead to the United States to
prepare a traditional Asian remedy for his sick sister. The
sister did however recover before the fish reached him, and he
deicide to spare its life and release it into the wild.
The Snakehead craze began in 2002 when a fisherman caught a
Snakehead in Crofton. He practiced catch and release, but since
he didn't recognize the fish he had caught he photographed it
before he put it back into the water. He brought the photo to a
government office in Annapolis, Maryland where it was identified
as a Northern Snakehead - Channa argus. The Crofton pond was
examined and it didn't take long before another adult Snakehead
was found. One moth later, six immature Channa argus was
discovered in the same pond, which proved that the Snakeheads
liked the Maryland environment well enough not only to survive,
but to form breathing populations as well. Biologists determined
that it was very unlikely that the immature Snakeheads were
aquarium breed, since they were no larger than 5 centimeters (2
inches). During July 2002, more than 100 small and immature
Snakeheads were removed from the Crofton pond.
The Maryland authorities launched a two-step process that they
hoped would eradicate the Snakeheads from the Maryland fauna.
Two potent herbicides were introduced to the Crofton pond, and
the decaying plant material soon caused the oxygen levels to
drop significantly. During the second part of the eradication
process, piscicide aiming directly at the fish were used and
large amounts of dead fish were removed from the waters. Since
Snakeheads can breathe oxygen from the air and wiggle their way
over land, the whole region around the Crofton pond was observed
but not escaping Snakeheads were spotted. Biologists were afraid
that Snakeheads would manage to escape to a nearby river - the
Little Patuxent River that is located only 23 meters (75 feet)
from the Crofton pond. The Little Patuxent River was explored,
but no Snakeheads were found. After a few weeks, the water
quality in the Crofton pond returned to normal.
Since this first discovery in Maryland, more Snakeheads have
however been found in several American states. In Asia,
Snakeheads inhabit quagmires, slow moving waters and densely
grown puddles and ponds where they feed chiefly on fish,
crustaceans and insects. Similar habitats with suitable prey
exist in many parts of the United States, and the Snakehead
could therefore become a permanent part of the fauna and cause
severe disruption or the ecosystems. Wild Snakeheads have
already been found in California, Florida, Rhode Island,
Massachusetts, Maine and Hawaii. In Florida and California, the
populations were established and breeding.
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Snakeheads - A danger to our waterlife
Snakehead fish became famous when wild and breeding specimens of this Asian predator was found in the United States. The fact that the Snakehead fish can grow larger than one metre and is highly adapted to low-oxygen waters and seasonal ...
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