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Sounds a lot like a sci-fi movie, doesn’t it?
Well, land-walking fish do exist and are known as snakehead fish
(due to their snake-like head). These peculiar species of fish can
grow up to 3 feet long. Their diet is quite versatile, ranging from
smaller fish (which they can easily bite in half with their sharp
teeth) to small land animals such as baby ducks2. Because of their
unique ability to survive above water, this sharp tooth predator
can wreak havoc on areas uncharted by their kind. This tidbit of
information brings us to the fish’s recent appearance in the
states.
Snakehead species were normally distributed in parts
of Asia and Africa until recently. How can a freshwater fish get
from Asia to the U.S.? Although they can slither on land for three
days, the distance they have to cover by undulating is pretty big.
Snakeheads are quite prized as food items, so it is not surprising
that these fish are imported over to be active participants of wonderful
culinary dishes. This was exactly how the predatory fish got to
the states. A local resident from Maryland, who imported the fish
over to make soup, dumped the fish in a nearby pond. Maryland isn’t
the only state that can boast of the snakehead’s presence.
According to the Interior Department, Six other states (Hawaii,
Florida, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island) reported
the fish as a new resident1.
There are some very important concerns when a new species is transplanted
from its home to a new environment, especially if the species is
a predator. Introduction of new predators can drastically alter
an ecosystem’s existing food chain and potentially hamper
to the survival of other species. These concerns have raised the
question of how to control the spread of the fish.
Government import and trade bans will be set up, so
the only way you can sink your teeth into a juicy snakehead is through
a special permit. There has been some talk among Maryland officials
about using poison on a lake that is known to harbor snakeheads.
Draining a lake that has snakeheads is also a possibility, but there
is the risk of accidentally pumping the water infested with juveniles
to other untainted bodies of water.
The fish is aggressive and is known to have attacked
people who got to close to their eggs. If you happen to see a torpedo
shape fish walking toward you during your next picnic at a lake,
then I advise you steer clear from the hard-scaled predator unless
you have a bigger fish or a sharp-toothed reptile as a pet. Don’t
forget to report the snakehead sighting to the proper authorities
when you are running away.
References:
- Crawling
Snakehead Fish Face Poison in Maryland (by Tom Doggett) June
26, 2002
- http://www.seremban.net/fishcorner/fc250999.htm
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