A fish that can live without water for days and grows up to three feet long was found again in Missouri, biologists with the state Department of Conservation said recently.
It’s the second time a northern snakehead was found in the state since 2019, authorities said.
The invasive fish was caught on May 19 at the Duck Creek Conservation Area in Wayne County, the Department of Conservation said. Staff members spent several days after looking for more northern snakeheads but couldn’t find any – offering some hope that the fish was present in low numbers
Originally from east Asia, where they are a delicacy believed to have healing powers, northern snakeheads are aggressive predators, preying on native species and competing for resources. They can grow to nearly three feet in length
“This fish has a wide temperature tolerance, can spawn multiple times in one year, and can survive in low-oxygenated waters by breathing air,” said MDC Fisheries Management Biologist Dave Knuth. “The impacts of this species on native fish populations are still to be determined and it’s something we will have to follow over time.” Previous reports indicate that snakeheads are a problem because “they’d eat just about anything.”
The first northern snakehead recorded in Missouri was caught in a borrow ditch within the St. Francis River levees in Dunklin County in 2019. The second one, which was 13-inches in length, was also found in the same watershed as the first one, though about 70 river miles north of the initial catch.
While the federal government had banned the transport and interstate travel of snakeheads in 2002, they have been popping up every now and then, sparking concerns and fears. The northern snakehead was first discovered in eastern Arkansas waterways in 2008. Since then, its distribution has been expanding, spreading north through the waters of the St. Francis River watershed, causing worry among biologists.
“They are a beast,” said Knuth.
Government officials have asked…
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