snake heads ??????

[duce]

i read a article in the sun (newspaper in uk) about a snake head fish which is terrorising lakes etc aparently they kill everything and can survive on land for up to 3 days ?
anyone know anything of them?

[jbeining75]

Very very bad invasive species... Northern Snakeheads were all over Maryland around 5 years ago. they were getting into local streams and killing native species. They can make it 3 days without water and breath through lungs. They are very dominant and will attack at will. Maryland DNR started chemical bathing them when found. They dumped chemicals into all kinds of ponds throughout Maryland to kill them off and are now illegal in alot of the Northwest and throughout most states. The bad part is the outbreak was all because some idiots dumped them into the rivers and ponds because they were to big to keep...

[RichBowyer]

I hear they are tasty stir fried in sesame oil with some fresh ground ginger.

[duce]

wow id never heard of them before !! i thought it maybe an april fool
theres ment to be a documentry about them soon in the uk

[NickFish]

Not a joke, I have seen those fish many times.

Here's what I know of them. All of it true.

They are illegal in most parts of the US (but not in Canada! HOORAY!), for many reasons.

In no particular order:

1) They need tanks big enough for them to swim freely, which not many can provide (this never stopped the pacu or arowana however). This isn't a big reason, just one of them.

2) If they ever get loose they will eat everything. Have you ever seen a adult snakehead up close? They're jaws are lined with dozens of curved inward, dagger-like teeth. Whatever they bit into the are getting, because you can't rip them off unless you want to lose a chunk of flesh with it. And they can wipe out an entire pond with their voracious appetite, and then get up and "walk" to the next pond.

3) They can live for days out of water, and even move out of water. They have been reported to attack children, and family pets. Sometimes with fatal consequences.

These guys are not to be taken lightly. They need at least a 300 gallon each, and they need to be fed a ton. Also, they are jumpers so don't put your hand over the tank. They are not terribly agressive, but they will bite people if they feel threatened or if they are very hungry.

[Wild Turkey]

Very very bad invasive species... Northern Snakeheads were all over Maryland around 5 years ago. they were getting into local streams and killing native species. They can make it 3 days without water and breath through lungs. They are very dominant and will attack at will. Maryland DNR started chemical bathing them when found. They dumped chemicals into all kinds of ponds throughout Maryland to kill them off and are now illegal in alot of the Northwest and throughout most states. The bad part is the outbreak was all because some idiots dumped them into the rivers and ponds because they were to big to keep...

Great Post, Im also a Marylander and i can attest to the fact that this species has not been wiped out completely and probably never will be. As mentioned, they are insanely hard to contain as they can literally "walk" across the gaps and infect all the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay with dire consequences. It all got started from...you guessed it, aquarium fish being disposed of improperly.

[goleafs]

Snakeheads are beasts... I'd definately get one if I had a huge tank and could find one. But if any of those get into the lakes I fish and start eating all the bass and stuff its going to suck. I'm pretty sure they got introduced from flooding in fish farms/people releasing them. Cool fish but they should go home.

[duce]

have any of you seen one in the flesh??

[Wild Turkey]

Yes, i saw one caught out of the bay a few years ago, and it seemed in that era there was a picture of one in the newspaper almost every week. They arent very attractive looking fish if you ask me.

[duce]

wow i find this fish so interesting any more??