The snakehead was shot near Indian Head, Mattawoman Creek, in Charles County, Maryland.
Diet of nonnative northern snakehead Channa argus compared to three co-occurring predators in the lower Potomac River, USA.
Northern snakeheads can also enter torpor, a state of inactivity, which allows them to survive in very low temperatures and under the ice. In 2002, they were discovered in the U.
NextBefore we wrap up, let's do our part to save the Bowfin Snakehead - which is not considered invasive.
Recently, the nest of a pair of northern snakeheads had been discovered Gascho Landis and Lapointe 2010. The northern snakehead, as a large piscivorous predator, is predicted to rapidly expand its invaded range into most of North America Herborg et al.
NextProceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
We'll cover the teeth later, complete with a creepy photo. The northern snakehead is no different Crooks 2009, Love and Newhard 2012.
NextThere are around 50,000 nonnative species in the U.
Since the Bowfin and the Northern Snakehead look similar to one another, please observe the differences below in this illustration published by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Within the Potomac River, the catch rate of the northern snakehead increased by 950% across the span of a year Odenkirk and Owens 2007.
A man admitted having released two adults, which he had purchased from a New York market, into the pond. The collateral damage to some ecosystems may not be worth the removal of the northern snakehead, making this form of control best for isolated environments where restoration is a future possibility Simberloff et al.
NextThe northern snakehead is an invasive species that, without proper control, is expected to cause detrimental effects on the ecosystems it invades.
The northern snakehead was most likely introduced through the live fish markets Herborg et al. The eggs are fertilized externally; a female can lay 100,000 eggs a year. While no Northern Snakehead reports from fishing enthusiasts around the state have been publicized this year, the possibility of this predator already existing in or sneaking into local ponds and lakes still exists.
NextThey have a large mouth and protruding jaw with canine-like teeth.
The largemouth bass has a diet that overlaps with the northern snakeheads diet to a biologically significant level, causing a high potential for the two species to become direct competitors Saylor et al. Mechanical control of the northern snakehead through fishing has been in effect since its discovery in the Potomac River Odenkirk and Owens 2007, Iwanowicz et al.
NextAnglers who suspect they have caught a snakehead are encouraged to NOT release it, and report it to the PFBC at 610 847-2442 or by For more information on Northern Snakeheads in Pennsylvania, including an identification guide, visit the PFBC on our website.