Snakehead fish could invade the US Midwest

Missouri officials fear invasive snakehead fish could spread throughout rivers in the Midwest after one was spotted in the St. Francis River.

Invasive snakehead fish have been recorded in 18 states in the US. Photo: Yahoo — Invasive snakehead fish have been recorded in 18 states in the US. Photo: *Yahoo*

In mid-June, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reported that a fisherman caught a second snakehead while baiting at Duck Creek Preserve in Puxico. Two days later, MDC officials searched the preserve and the adjacent Mingo Wildlife Refuge but found no fish. Biologists are concerned that the population will continue to spread through the St. Francis River watershed, according to Yahoo .

This is a big problem even though snakeheads are a favorite fisherman's game and food. Like any invasive species, snakeheads threaten to disrupt the habitat and food supply of bass, walleye, pike, crappie, and lake trout. Juvenile snakeheads feed on plankton, but as they grow, their diet includes crustaceans, aquatic insects, snails, and small fish. As they mature, snakeheads not only prey on other fish, but also eat frogs, birds, and small mammals.

Snakeheads are native to East Asia and are likely introduced to North American waterways through aquaculture or the food trade. Their most disturbing trait is their ability to survive in conditions that other fish cannot. Snakeheads prefer stagnant muddy water. They can survive three days outside the water by breathing air. They can even crawl across land to reach other water. Few species reproduce as efficiently as snakeheads. They can lay five clutches of 50,000 eggs a year.

All of these factors put snakeheads on the invasive species list. It’s only a matter of time before snakeheads spread to Missouri, says Dave Knuth, a fisheries biologist at MDC. The first snakehead in Missouri was spotted in a ditch near the St. Francis River, near the Arkansas border, in April 2019.

Local authorities advise fishermen who catch snakeheads not to release them or leave them on land as they will survive and return to the water. They should notify authorities before killing the fish by beheading or gutting them.

An Khang (According to Yahoo )

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