| The Snakehead fish is a native fish to China. | | | | and atmospheric oxygen. Yeah -- it can survive |
| Snakeheads first entered the Maryland | | | | on land, however, they do need moisture; so they |
| ecosystem when a local man ordered a pair of | | | | can only survive on land if they find moisture. This |
| Snakeheads in New York's Chinatown. In Asia, the | | | | fish has even been known to migrate to other |
| fish is believed to have healing powers when | | | | bodies of water. Okay -- how does it do that you |
| eaten. The man's sister became ill, so he thought | | | | ask? It crawls on its pectoral fins. |
| it would be a good idea to get some Snakehead | | | | The problem is people want to keep them as |
| fish for his sister. By the time he got back to | | | | pets. Well -- these fish or known to jump out of |
| Maryland his sister had recovered. So he kept the | | | | aquariums or ram the side and knock it over. |
| fish in an aquarium for a while. But then against his | | | | They have even been known to break the glass |
| better judgment, he released them into a local | | | | of the aquarium by ramming their head through it. |
| pond. This is believed to be the first case of | | | | So when people learn what a handful these pets |
| Snakeheads being introduced into an American | | | | can be, they are releasing them into the local lake |
| fishery. | | | | or river. Scientist have advised that fisherman |
| So whats the big deal? Well for starters, this fish | | | | should kill this fish if they happen to catch one. |
| is a top-level predator, meaning it has no natural | | | | You might need a bat or a good size rock to hit it |
| enemies. It reproduces at a rapid rate. They have | | | | over the head with. This is one mean fish! |
| a voracious appetite, feeding primarily on other | | | | All attempts to eradicate the fish have failed. It |
| fish. So in turn, they naturally decimate the native | | | | seems the Snakehead is here to stay. But on the |
| fish in that body of water. They can get up to | | | | positive side, they do taste good. And you don't |
| four feet long, a lot of it depends on which | | | | have to worry about a limit. Pound for pound, this |
| species of Snakehead it is. There are almost | | | | fish is going to give you a good fight. It's just to |
| thirty different species of Snakeheads. They have | | | | bad this fish eats such a wide variety of foods. |
| canine teeth and actually have a tongue that | | | | This is why it is such a danger to the native |
| resembles a humans. If that's not enough to give | | | | species. They will even feed on bass or whatever |
| you the creeps, it can breathe aquatic oxygen | | | | they can fit into their mouth. |