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Snakehead fish in texas12/5/2023 ![]() If they are or become established, it will be difficult to prevent their expansion given the size of the rivers’ fisheries area, Kuhn said. “We’re not too alarmed at this point, as we don’t know if they are established.” The Monongahela snakehead is being treated as a single fish find because there is no evidence of an established group of fish, Smith and Kuhn said. The fish was likely put in the river illegally, as there are no connecting populations in the area, Kuhn said. The snakehead, at 28 inches long, is at least several years old, he said The fish was examined Monday at the commission’s southwest regional office in Somerset, according to Smith. He took a photo, stowed the fish in a freezer and reported the catch to the Fish and Boat Commission. The angler killed the fish, which anglers are supposed to do if they catch one, to make positive identification. Since snakeheads are considered good to eat, they may have been imported by individuals as a food source, with unwanted specimens being released into Pennsylvania waters, he said.Īn angler caught the snakehead in Pittsburgh’s Duck Hollow section of the Monongahela River last week, according to social media reports. Once a popular freshwater aquarium fish, snakeheads may have been dumped into local waterways by pet owners who no longer wanted them, establishing a breeding population, Parker said. They were likely introduced through the pet trade or food industry. The origin of snakeheads in Pennsylvania is unknown, Parker said. ![]() ![]() The first detection of snakeheads occurred in the state in 2004 in a small pond in Philadelphia near the mouth of the Schuylkill River, said Mike Parker, communications director for the commission. They’re tasty, too, according to anglers. But snakeheads have a long anal fin that stretches from stomach to tail. Snakeheads look similar to the bowfin fish with a single dorsal fin running the length of their upper body. They have been called “Frankenfish” and “fishzilla” because of their rugged reputation as aggressive and voracious feeders. “It’s like having another person at the table to eat, but there’s only so much food,” he said. “The big thing is the snakehead is a predatory fish that will compete against other fish in our three rivers, including smallmouth bass, walleye and sauger,” said Gary Smith, area fisheries manager of the commission’s southwest region. Pennsylvania law prohibits the possession, sale, purchase and transport of live snakeheads. Native to China, Russia and South Korea, the snakehead is a predatory fish that competes with native fish for food, potentially impacting their populations. It is known to reside only in the southeastern corner of the state, according to the agency. The invasive fish has a snake-like appearance with its sleek shape and pattern of coloring. It is the first confirmed snakehead fish in Southwestern Pennsylvania, according to Kris Kuhn, chief of the fisheries management division for the commission. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission confirmed Monday that an invasive species, the northern snakehead fish, was recently caught in the Monongahela River.
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