It lives in the water, it is a fish, but its appearance is more like a snake. Especially the head. The snakehead is an eel-like fish that has very pointed teeth. It is native to Asia but can also be seen in the United States of America, for example.

The snakehead is an aggressive creature that can be a threat to native wildlife and aquatic organisms. In fact, the northern snakehead has an ability that makes it quite different from other animals. It can absorb atmospheric oxygen. This allows the fish to survive for days on dry land. It is for this reason that it is a threat to other animals.

An invasive species

Researchers are concerned about the snakehead. It spreads very quickly. It can adapt well to environments where other animals could not survive. This has ecological consequences that could cause irreversible damage to ecosystems.

Angela Sokolowski, invasive species coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation, warns that the fish are outside of their native habitat and can reproduce and grow quickly. In addition, they are beating native species in the battle for food and space.

━━ ( Source: Sergey Dudikov / Shutterstock )

The main problem of snakehead fish

At first glance, it might seem that the problem is mainly that the fish can survive on dry land. However, the main problem is longevity. The fish can survive for several days on ice. Fishermen are urged to actively kill them. In fact, fishermen can play a major role in their elimination.

Fish can look dead. They’re in a state of stasis, inactive, conserving energy. People think they’re dead, but the opposite is true. Snakeheads take after snakes. Fishermen are encouraged to kill snakeheads that look like this.

Who do they attack?

Snakeheads lurk primarily in shallow waters and attack virtually anything that moves in their vicinity. They feed on fish, insects and reptiles. Amphibians are not to be ignored. They even attack species that are similar to them, such as the carp urchin.

Snakeheads breed

Unlike most common fish, northern snakeheads spawn several times in one season and each female can lay up to 50,000 eggs. These are then guarded by both mother and father. After hatching, they also guard their young and it is at this time that they become aggressive.

Solowska points out that both the female and the male defend the very young fish, known as minnows, by snuggling up with their backs to them and keeping them in a tight huddle. It makes them look like a school of small fish. But it’s a very dangerous school. As soon as someone gets close to it, they’ll attack.

Inspiration for films

The snakehead invasion was discovered in 2002 in Maryland. A fisherman there caught a 60-centimeter-long fish with a terrifying appearance. It was the appearance of the strange predatory fish that inspired the filmmakers and several horror films on the subject were made. However, most of the films had little to do with reality. After all, as it happens in such cases.