a day ago
"Voracious" snakehead fish that can breathe on land found in Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania
After an invasive northern snakehead fish was found in the Schuylkill River in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, officials are spreading awareness to fishers about what they have to do: kill snakeheads on sight.
Park rangers at Black Rock Sanctuary in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, found one of the fish last week, Chester County Parks and Preservation said on social media, sharing a photo of the rangers with the fish.
Snakeheads are native to Russia, China and the Korean Peninsula but have been spotted around the United States, including waterways in Missouri and Maryland.
The first confirmed snakehead catch in Pennsylvania occurred in July 2004 in Meadow Lake in Philadelphia's FDR Park, according to the state Fish and Boat Commission.
Northern snakeheads are disruptive to local fish. Considered "voracious eaters," they will compete with native species and eat their food and occupy the habitat.
Snakeheads can notably breathe air and move across land, and sometimes last for multiple days out of water, meaning they can travel between bodies of water.
"Anglers in possession of snakeheads must immediately kill the fish onsite to prevent its spread," Chester County Parks and Preservation said.
FBC says snakeheads may be confused for Pennsylvania native species like bowfin and burbot, but snakeheads stand out with their scaly heads that have a more interlocked pattern.
You can also check out a diagram on the commission's website.
