New York environmental officials are urging the public to kill any northern snakehead fish they encounter, following the species' first confirmed sighting in the state. The invasive predator, nicknamed the 'Frankenfish,' has established a presence across much of the Mid-Atlantic and Eastern United States since its initial detection in 2002.
The discovery was made at Lily Pond in Suffolk County on Long Island, where a fisherman caught one of the snake-like fish. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is now working to prevent the species from becoming established in the state's waterways.
Wildlife officials warn that the northern snakehead poses a significant threat to native ecosystems due to its aggressive predatory behavior and its ability to outcompete native species for food and habitat. The fish can breathe air and survive out of water for several days if its skin remains moist, allowing it to move between bodies of water.
Officials are advising anglers not to release caught snakeheads back into the water. Because the fish can survive on land for extended periods, simply leaving them on the shore is often insufficient to kill them. The Missouri Department of Conservation recommends specific methods for eradication, such as "kill[ing] the fish by severing the head, gutting it or placing it in a sealed plastic bag."
Heidi O’Riordan, the regional fisheries manager for the New York State DEC, stated that the northern snakehead "will screw up our native fish populations" and "eat pretty much anything they can put in their very large mouths."
The northern snakehead, native to Asia, reproduces rapidly, with females capable of laying up to 15,000 eggs per spawning cycle and spawning multiple times a year. The rapid hatching of these eggs contributes to swift population growth once the species is established.
As a top predator, the snakehead consumes a variety of aquatic life, including other fish, frogs, and crayfish, thereby disrupting the natural balance of food webs in invaded ecosystems. The New York Invasive Species Information program notes that the species "disrupts the natural aquatic feeding structure in ecosystems."
The fish is identifiable by its long, slender, snake-like body, an extended dorsal fin, and a mottled brown pattern. Adults can grow to approximately three feet in length. They typically inhabit freshwater environments such as ponds, wetlands, rivers, and slow-moving streams, particularly those with stagnant water.
Prior to the New York sighting, northern snakeheads had been reported in numerous states, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.
Scientists have been investigating the factors that drive northern snakeheads to leave the water, seeking insights that could aid in controlling the invasive species. Research conducted on specimens from Maryland, where the fish impact ecosystems connected to the Chesapeake Bay, involved exposing the fish to various stressful environmental conditions. While resilient to most conditions, the snakeheads were observed to leave the water when subjected to highly acidic water, elevated salinity, or stagnant, low-oxygen conditions. This behavior, which could last for up to 20 minutes, might inform future strategies for predicting and containing the species' spread.