The Northern Snakehead is a long, cylindrical fish that is also a prolific invasive species in North America. Originating in Africa and Asia, the Northern Snakehead's pointy head is covered in large scales, giving it a distinctively snake-like appearance (3). Interestingly, the Northern Snakehead can survive outside of water for several days as it is equipped with the necessary physiology to breathe air (1). In addition, the Northern Snakehead is capable of limited movement over land although doing so renders it crucially vulnerable to land predators (3). The Northern Snakehead was introduced to North American waters in the late 1960's by an unknown commercial entity such as a private aquarium or a restaurant looking for a place to raise the fish to sell later (4). The Northern Snakehead currently has established itself in several North American aquatic environments, ranging from reservoirs in North Carolina to ponds in Philadelphia and the Potomac River (3). .
The Northern Snakehead is a carnivorous and predatory species and they consume a wide variety of zooplankton, insects, fish, and other crucial components of the diet of other members in the ecosystem (3). This has the effect of reducing available biomass for other species and forces behavioral adaptations in those other species in order for them to survive. Sport fishing has been affected in the areas where the Northern Snakehead has established populations since they actively hunt and eat game fish.
While the scourge of the Northern Snakehead may seem endemic, there are opportunities and methods that allow for some mitigation of the proliferation of this invasive species. For instance, legislation has effectively rendered the importation of the Northern Snakehead into the United States illegal and informational programs have been implemented to alert the public to the potential peril of introducing invasive species into foreign ecosystems (4).
The introduction of invasive species into new environments is a problem that plagues the entire planet. This environmental problem costs businesses millions of dollars every year. Exotic species would be diminished if more people were educated to their effects. There are many reasons for addressi...