Snakehead: Invasive species being caught in waterways throughout S.J.

chl 0901 snakehead fishing
Adam Mihara of Maple Shade fishes in Stewart Lake in Woodbury. The snakehead fish has been caught in this body of water and is known for its ability to survive on land for a few hours.

SNAKEHEAD FACTS

• Averages 2 feet long
• 7-13 pounds
• Color and size vary
• 28 varieties of the species

 

It might be one of the ugliest fish you’d ever want to see lurking in local ponds and streams. Brown with dark blotches, beady eyes atop its flattened head, the northern snakehead is coming up on the end of more and more reels across South Jersey.

And local fishermen claim the creature, dubbed “Frankenfish” for its ability to survive and even slither on land for considerable distances, is being caught here at an alarming rate.

“They’re exploding,” Rick Sayers, owner of Big Timber Bait and Tackle in Brooklawn, said of the species, which is not native to South Jersey. “They’re all over the place now.”

Snakeheads, which originally came from China and once were sold in this country at pet stores, are of great concern to scientists across the Mid-Atlantic region. The federal government banned the transport of live specimens in 2002.

The media had a feeding frenzy when snakeheads were found in a pond in South Philadelphia’s FDR Park in the summer of 2004. The park is near the Schuylkill River and that’s how authorities believe they’ve managed to swim as far south as Raccoon Creek in Logan and as far north as Bordentown.

The state Department of Environmental Protection was first alerted to their presence in New Jersey in 2009, when the species surfaced in Stewart Lake in Woodbury.

“They were once thought of as mostly a warm-water fish, but they love our habitat around here and they’ve shown that they do well in cold water,” said Christopher Smith, principal fish biologist for the DEP.

“They produce a large amount of offspring…. snakeheads grow pretty quick, faster than a bass does. They’re also resilient in that they can live out of water for, literally, five or six hours.”

Snakehead, which feed on native species like frogs, small reptiles and often small birds and mammals, are on the state’s Aquatic Invasive Species list. Officials fear their presence could disrupt the area’s ecosystem.

“In theory, any time you introduce a large predator to a population, you’re going to have competition for food and space, so there’s definitely the potential for impact,” Smith said. “Really, only time will tell.”

It might be one of the ugliest fish you’d ever want to see lurking in local ponds and streams. Brown with dark blotches, beady eyes atop its flattened head, the northern snakehead is coming up on the end of more and more reels across South Jersey.

And local fishermen claim the creature, dubbed “Frankenfish” for its ability to survive and even slither on land for considerable distances, is being caught here at an alarming rate.

“They’re exploding,” Rick Sayers, owner of Big Timber Bait and Tackle in Brooklawn, said of the species, which is not native to South Jersey. “They’re all over the place now.”

Snakeheads, which originally came from China and once were sold in this country at pet stores, are of great concern to scientists across the Mid-Atlantic region. The federal government banned the transport of live specimens in 2002.

The media had a feeding frenzy when snakeheads were found in a pond in South Philadelphia’s FDR Park in the summer of 2004. The park is near the Schuylkill River and that’s how authorities believe they’ve managed to swim as far south as Raccoon Creek in Logan and as far north as Bordentown.

The state Department of Environmental Protection was first alerted to their presence in New Jersey in 2009, when the species surfaced in Stewart Lake in Woodbury.

“They were once thought of as mostly a warm-water fish, but they love our habitat around here and they’ve shown that they do well in cold water,” said Christopher Smith, principal fish biologist for the DEP.

“They produce a large amount of offspring…. snakeheads grow pretty quick, faster than a bass does. They’re also resilient in that they can live out of water for, literally, five or six hours.”

Snakehead, which feed on native species like frogs, small reptiles and often small birds and mammals, are on the state’s Aquatic Invasive Species list. Officials fear their presence could disrupt the area’s ecosystem.

“In theory, any time you introduce a large predator to a population, you’re going to have competition for food and space, so there’s definitely the potential for impact,” Smith said. “Really, only time will tell.”

 

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