16-04-2025
Fishermen told to suffocate or behead this ‘perfect invasive species'
(KTVI) – The Missouri Department of Conservation is warning the state's anglers — and folks living near Missouri waterways — to keep an eye out for an invasive snakehead fish not native to the United States, echoing warnings issued in other states.
The northern snakehead fish, also known as Channa argus, are long, predatory fish native to Asia with a head that resembles that of a snake, according to the MDC. They prey on sportfish, as well as bugs and reptiles, and spawn more frequently than many other native species, posing a risk of depleting resources that other species need to survive, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says.
It can also breathe air and survive out of water for up to 'several days,' MDC officials said, making it capable of traveling between bodies of water.
'All these traits rolled into a single fish suggested that the Northern Snakehead might be the perfect invasive species that, left uncontrolled, would unleash untold havoc on inland fisheries throughout the region,' the FWS said.
How to spot a northern snakehead
Because of this, fishermen in Missouri are being instructed not to release a snakehead if caught, but instead kill the invasive fish in one of three ways: by severing its head, gutting it, or 'placing it in a sealed plastic bag.'
The MDC also wants fishermen to photograph any snakehead catches and report their finds to their Snakehead Fish Reporting program.
The MDC said the northern snakehead was first spotted in Missouri in 2019. Several states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, among others, have issued their own warnings in recent years, often urging fishermen to kill or harvest the so-called 'frankenfish.'
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