Lively
Members
Just saw House of Tropicals...
VERY COOL!
VERY COOL!
Hooked MD Snakehead Infestation On NOW!
- Thread starter Lively
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- hooked infestation snakehead
danger_chicken
Swim Fishy Swim!
err ahh is there suppose to be a link of something...you're slipping lively.
Lively
Members
LOL - it was on NatGeo. The show "Hooked" They traced the start of the snakeheads from Crofton Pond in MD and the other infestations in in other parts of the country.
danger_chicken
Swim Fishy Swim!
LOL probablythe same guy.
Lively
Members
I thought that was the same pond. Interesting show about the snakehead - a bit on the propaganda side really demonized the fish. Some of them are really attractive fish, I'd keep them.
They have no natural preditors here and they breed at an astonishing rate, 15,000 fry at a time (not sure if they are egg layers - they seem to be "good" parents like cichlids) The one in Crofton pond was released, ironically enough, because a gentleman purchased two from Taiwan (prior to the ban) to make a traditional medicine of fish soup for his sick sister. She got better before he used the second fish and he released the second one ceremonially to provide her with more good luck in line with tradition in his country. When he read the news and realized it was probably his fish that started the problem in Crofton, he fessed up to the act.
They have no natural preditors here and they breed at an astonishing rate, 15,000 fry at a time (not sure if they are egg layers - they seem to be "good" parents like cichlids) The one in Crofton pond was released, ironically enough, because a gentleman purchased two from Taiwan (prior to the ban) to make a traditional medicine of fish soup for his sick sister. She got better before he used the second fish and he released the second one ceremonially to provide her with more good luck in line with tradition in his country. When he read the news and realized it was probably his fish that started the problem in Crofton, he fessed up to the act.
Lively
Members
They actually poisoned the entire pond and killed every fish in there to stop the snakehead from spreading... too bad they didn't realize that several all over the country had been released - the fish they have tested have been genetically unrelated!
F8LBITE
Members
sounds like a cool show. They do look awesome.
Lively
Members
From what I saw, I believe it. Any fish that is powerful enough to "walk" on land has to be a real challange to reel in.
You realize that "sane" people think these guys are monsters... I guess it's official - I'm a fishaholic. 'cause I think they are pretty cool. Not that I'm thrilled with them in our waters - but what a fish!
You realize that "sane" people think these guys are monsters... I guess it's official - I'm a fishaholic. 'cause I think they are pretty cool. Not that I'm thrilled with them in our waters - but what a fish!
F8LBITE
Members
Id love to have one. Not this big though!
Lively
Members
There's a guy in NY who managed to petition a stay for his pet. He got his snakehead in 1999, before the ban. There was a huge outcry from the the public (the fact his was a tropical, not a cold water helped a whole lot) and the gov't managed to find a loophole and he was issued a permit to keep the fish for "education" purposes.
crazyclowntang
Members
I wonder if this fish could deplete native fish population completely?? It seems like there would be no predator to kill him in the the wild (here in our rivers)
If its the same one im thinking of in upstate NY im pretty sure he got axed! Sadly of course. But dont quote me there was loooong thread on it over on MFK
Andrewtfw
Global Moderators
I don't think I understand how releasing one snakehead in crofton lead to so many. Snakeheads are egg layers and not live bearers.
We had a snakehead in our store for about a year or so just after the ban. Stores were told to accept them but not to resell or release them. Eventually we found a zoo for him in Florida.
Though the northern snakehead can overwinter and has been introduced in many waterways in the US, the claims that it will overtake the native populations has yet to be proven.
We had a snakehead in our store for about a year or so just after the ban. Stores were told to accept them but not to resell or release them. Eventually we found a zoo for him in Florida.
Though the northern snakehead can overwinter and has been introduced in many waterways in the US, the claims that it will overtake the native populations has yet to be proven.
danger_chicken
Swim Fishy Swim!
That video Anubis posted a few months ago showing a snakehead with fry was pretty freaky.
Lively
Members
It is odd, Andrew. I didn't understand that myself. The show didn't point fingers at a cause - however in a round about way it did explain how these fish were getting released. I supposed they were trying to avoid giving bigots one more reason to hate. At least that's what I'd like to think.
If you were paying close attention - NatGeo suggested that these fish were (and perhaps still are) getting released into the wild via a ceremonial animal release by people from Taiwan. They never directly answered the question of how they were getting into the water system - but apparently through genetic testing they proved that the fish in crofton pond were unrelated to the ones in the river. So they made it clear there was more than one source. I've also since read that the man who admitted releasing the fish actually released both fish into the pond, not just the one NatGeo reported.
If you were paying close attention - NatGeo suggested that these fish were (and perhaps still are) getting released into the wild via a ceremonial animal release by people from Taiwan. They never directly answered the question of how they were getting into the water system - but apparently through genetic testing they proved that the fish in crofton pond were unrelated to the ones in the river. So they made it clear there was more than one source. I've also since read that the man who admitted releasing the fish actually released both fish into the pond, not just the one NatGeo reported.
Andrewtfw
Global Moderators
I believe I saw that documentary a while ago. Is it the same one where at the end they are monitoring the snakeheads they released and note how the majority stayed within the same range though one traveled unexpectadely farther? I found the documentary overall conflicting. The information switched from scientific to pop-culture making it hard for people with no background knowledge of snakeheads to differentiate fact from opinion.
On a loosely related note, on Sunday I had a customer point to a polypterus delhizi and inform me that snakeheads are illegal and I should not have it in my store. Suddenly everyone is an expert.
On a loosely related note, on Sunday I had a customer point to a polypterus delhizi and inform me that snakeheads are illegal and I should not have it in my store. Suddenly everyone is an expert.
