Where does the giant snakehead live?

south-east Asia
The Indonesian or giant snakehead, Channa micropeltes, is a large freshwater fish native to south-east Asia. It is a hardy, highly predacious species that is able to breathe air and survive out of water for long periods.

How did snakehead fish arrive in the US?

It is believed that the northern snakehead fish entered the United States when aquarium owners discarded their unwanted exotic captive species into local waterways. Northern snakehead fish can spread by swimming underwater and are also capable of breathing out of the water to move short distances on land.

Where does the northern snakehead live now?

PATHWAYS/HISTORY: The northern snakehead is native to areas of China, Russia, and Korea. In the United States, the snakehead was first discovered in 1977 within Silverwood Lake, California. In 2002, this species was discovered in a pond in Crofton, Maryland.

When did the snakehead fish arrive in the US?

2002
In the summer of 2002 and again in late spring 2004, Channa argus, the northern snakehead, generated national media attention when anglers caught this fish in a pond in Maryland and, more recently, in the Potomac River in Maryland and Virginia.

Do snakeheads bite humans?

Most snakehead fish will avoid contact with humans. One species, the giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes) native to southeastern Asia, has been reported to be aggressive toward humans who got too close to their nest. Other snakeheads are not as aggressive toward humans.

Is snakehead fish safe to eat?

The short answer is yes, northern snakehead is an excellent fish to eat. In fact, they originally ended up in that Crofton, Maryland pond because they were brought here for eating. Snakehead meat is firm, white and flaky. This allows the fish to be prepared in many different ways.

Where does the northern snakehead fish come from?

The northern snakehead is native to Russia, China and Korea and came to North America as an aquarium-bound pet (though one that potentially will devour its tankmates) and as a prized main course, often steamed with vegetables, pan-fried or used to anchor a whole-fish soup.

Where are the snakeheads in New Jersey now?

Such is the case with the northern snakehead and the August meltdown of largemouth activity in the tributaries of the Delaware River in the New Jersey area stretching from Little Mantua Creek in Gloucester northward into the Crosswicks Creek in Burlington County.

Can you tell if a fish is a snakehead?

Callers have told Holt they caught a fish — a snakehead for sure — and threw it into the weeds, but they can tell him where it is. A woman called recently and said she was sure a fish she found was a snakehead because it “attacked” a bucket she set near it. “People just want to have a snakehead,” Holt says.

When was it illegal to import Northern snakeheads into the US?

Since its first appearance in two Maryland ponds in 2002, northern snakeheads had popped up variously in California, New York, Virginia, Florida and North Carolina, always to outsized reaction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made importation of the fish illegal under the Lacey Act in 2002.