Delaware On Lookout For Invasion Of Snakehead Fish

November 27, 2004

Release from: Melissa Tyrrell/The News Journal

Delaware wasn't the first state, but it may be the next on the snakehead fish's hit list.

The invasive, predatory fish, dubbed the "Frankenfish," was discovered in a Philadelphia waterway this summer. Eight more have been caught in the area since then.

Officials say they assume snakeheads have gotten into the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. They might find out this spring, when several routine fish samplings take place, said area fisheries biologist Mike Kaufmann.

Many Delaware anglers are already talking about the snakehead, said Bob Johnson, who works at Captain Bones, a bait, tackle and hunting supplies store near Odessa.

"I'm sure there's some out there," Johnson said. "They get into ponds and eat everything."

Delaware banned the sale, transport and possession of the fish this summer. In 2002, the United States banned the transport of the fish.

Snakehead fish are native to parts of Asia and are known for their ability to writhe over land while breathing air - hence the name. They're considered invasive because they eat native fish and frogs.

They can migrate over land and have caninelike teeth, which they aren't afraid to use when protecting their young.

Some have been sold as an Asian delicacy and others as exotic pets. Some officials believe they've spread through American waters as bored pet owners released them into the wild.

Four species of the snakehead family have been found in California, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The freshwater fish have been found to be breeding in Florida and Maryland - and now Pennsylvania.

The snakehead that an angler pulled from Meadow Lake in FDR Park in July was quickly followed by more catches when officials swept the lake with electronic fishing gear. Another angler brought a bucket full of young snakeheads to the Academy of Natural Sciences - proof the fish were breeding.

Nineteen snakeheads, including juveniles, have been caught in the Potomac River and its tributaries this year. Maryland and Virginia officials teamed up with Bass Pro Shops to organize a snakehead derby, offering rewards to anglers catching the fish.

In October, an angler pulled an 18-inch snakehead from Chicago's Burnham Harbor on Lake Michigan.

Other Delaware tackle salesmen took the news in stride. Curt Slicer, of Slicer Sporting Goods in Marshallton, and Nick Latina, of Eastern Marine Fishing Superstore in Newark, said they've heard little from customers.

"I don't think there's a major concern," Latina said. "Our lakes are pretty secluded."