DEC wants frightening “Frankenfish” killed

MID-HUDSON – A predatory fish with sharp teeth that can live outside of water for days is a nightmare for the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and they are asking for help in eliminating this frightening species that arrived from Asia.  The Northern Snakehead is a fish native to Asia and is believed to have been introduced to New York through aquarium dumping and accidental, as well as intentional, releases from fish markets, according to the DEC.

Besides aquarium dumping and fish market releases, people also contribute to their spread by illegally using them as bait or unknowingly transporting juveniles in water-containing compartments of boats. Snakeheads will also spread to nearby waterbodies on their own since they can breathe air and survive for days out of water.  Juveniles feed on a wide variety of microscopic organisms, insect larvae, and crustaceans that native fish rely on for food. As adults, northern snakeheads feed mostly on other fish species, but also crustaceans, reptiles, mammals, and small birds.

Northern snakeheads are long, thin fish with a single fin running the length of the back. These invasive fish are generally brown with large, dark blotches along their sides and can grow up to three feet in length. Northern snakeheads have a somewhat flattened head and a large mouth with many teeth.

“It is crucial that we stop the spread of this invasive predator to protect the health of our waters, wildlife and fishing industry,” the DEC said in a recent advisory.

The Northern Snakehead prefers to live in stagnant shallow ponds or swamps but it can inhabit any of the state’s canals, reservoirs, lakes, and rivers. In New York State, snakeheads were identified in two connected ponds in Queens where steps have been taken to keep the population contained. Another population found in Ridgebury Lake in the town of Wawayanda, Orange County, was eradicated in 2008 using the pesticide rotenone.  In 2021 the fish was identified…