The family of snakeheads is made of about 28 extraordinary species every with a one of a kind
common name. Some however do now not have a not unusual name and others don't have any English
common name.
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Channidae
The snakeheads are inside the Channidae circle of relatives. There are genera recognized inside the
Channidae family, Channa (from Asia, Malaysia, and Indonesia) and Parachanna (from
Africa). There are currently 28 species recognized.
DISTRIBUTION: Each species of snakehead has a slightly one-of-a-kind native range but for
the most component Channa species are from Asia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The Parachanna
species are from Africa. They have been added into many countries to set up a
food supply or they had been aquarium releases. Those species observed within the United States are
Channa argus (northern snakehead), Channa micropeltes (massive snakehead), Channa
marulius (bullseye snakehead), and Channa maculate (blotched snakehead).
Indiana: No snakeheads have been detected in Indiana waters however they may be on the
aquatic nuisance species watch listing.
DESCRIPTION: Snakeheads have lengthy cylindrical our bodies with lengthy dorsal and anal
fins. They have no spines in their fins only smooth rays. There are huge scales on their head
that resemble a snake’s head. They have tubular nostrils and a large mouth with a
sticking out decrease jaw. They have teeth and most species have dog like tooth on their
decrease jaw. Some might confuse the snakehead with our local bowfin. The excellent way to
tell the difference is that the bowfin does no longer have an elongated anal fin because the snakeheads
do (See illustrations under).
LIFE CYCLE BIOLOGY AND LIFE HISTORY: The majority of snakehead species
stay in freshwater streams and rivers. Others can arise in freshwater swamps, ditches,
ponds, and rice paddies. For most species breeding occurs between June and August.
Some species can breed up to 5 instances a yr. Snakeheads form monogamous pairs that
stay at some point of the spawning season. The snakeheads construct tricky nests by means of
clearing a place of vegetation and weaving a few vegetation right into a column. During
spawning the pair circulate up the column they built and the male wraps his body around the
female. The eggs are then released and fertilized and they rise to the floor of the nest
column. One or each dad and mom fiercely protect the eggs. There has been reviews of attacks
against people who approach a snakehead egg mass. Channa gachua and Channa
orentalis are the most effective species of snakehead that are mouthbrooders. In this case the
male is the mouthbrooder of the fertilized eggs and the fry.
Snakehead fry start out feeding on zooplankton but quick reach a juvenile stage and
begin to consume small crustaceans, bugs and bug larvae. Adult snakeheads feed normally
on other fishes however will devour crustaceans, frogs, smaller reptiles, and the bigger species of
snakehead may also eat birds and small mammals. They are voracious predators and
had been regarded to assault and kill prey and then not consume them.
Snakeheads are especially developed and all species have the ability to breath air and lots of are
capable of overland migrations. What permit these fish to breath air are their
suprabranchial chambers for air respiratory plus their ventral aorta is split into
portions to permit aquatic and aerial respiratory. This offers the snakehead the potential to
live out of water for a good sized quantity of time as long as it remains wet.
PATHWAYS/HISTORY: The first recognised report of a snakehead within the United States
got here from Hawaii. There is an established populace of blotched snakeheads on the
island of Oahu that has been there because the 1800’s. In 1968 a massive snakehead turned into taken
from Johnston Pond in Rhode Island. A fisherman claimed to have taken a large
snakehead in 1976 from the Mousam River in Maine, but that declare become in no way tested.
In 1977 a northern snakehead became stuck from Silverwood Lake in California.
Massachusetts has had three places wherein snakeheads have been determined: large
snakehead from Pomps Pond in 1990, northern snakehead from Newton Pond in 2001,
and a blotched snakehead within the Charles River in 2002. Two northern snakeheads were.
Located within the St. Johns River in Florida in 2000. An set up population of bullseye
snakehead changed into discovered in residential lakes in Florida in 2001. In 2002 two northern
snakeheads had been caught in Lake Wylie, North Carolina. An installed population of
northern snakehead turned into located in July of 2002 in a Crofton, Maryland pond. The
Maryland branch of Natural Resources eliminated the populace with the usage of a
fish toxicant. There were different reports; one bullseye snakehead captured in the
Baltimore Inner Harbor and 3 giant snakeheads taken from special locations in
Maryland. The Rock River in Wisconsin has had reviews of giant snakeheads being
caught, but the actual dates are unknown.
DISPERSAL/SPREAD: Snakeheads were imported into the US for 2
motives, as aquarium fish and for use as meals. The fish determined in the wild have been both
stocked so one can establish a neighborhood food source, or aquarium owners launched them
when they now not wanted to take care of them. One risk for further unfold is from an
set up population of bullseye snakehead in ponds in Florida that adjoin with canals
within the Everglades National Park. There are many species of Channidae which can tolerate a
wide variety of temperatures so neither the nice and cozy waters of the south nor the cold waters of
the north might stop the snakeheads from becoming installed. Once established, they
can expand their variety through swimming to adjacent waterways or can move overland to
nearby waters.
RISKS/IMPACTS: At all existence tiers the snakehead competes with native fishes for food.
Native fish and wildlife populations that rely on fish, crustaceans, frogs, snakes, lizards
and young waterfowl may want to face discounts because of the loss of food. If the
snakehead will become established in a frame of water it could disrupt the ecosystems predatorprey
balance. The snakehead can instinctively move to a new frame of water thru
waterway connections or across land as soon as food will become scarce which places all waters at
chance for invasion. There is constantly the capacity of a new species to deliver with it new
illnesses and parasites and the same is actual for any species of snakehead. The snakehead
puts all of our endangered species of amphibians, fishes and crustaceans liable to
extinction. There does no longer need to be a huge population of snakeheads to grow to be a
trouble, even simply one snakehead poses a hazard because of its voracious feeding
conduct. There is also a danger to people. At least one species of snakehead, Channa
micropeltes, has been regarded to attack people whilst someone has approached the
snakehead nest or younger.
MANAGEMENT/PREVENTION: The key to dealing with snakeheads is to prevent them
from turning into established inside the first region. In 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
introduced snakeheads to the listing of injurious fish. With this list, snakeheads are prohibited
from being imported into the u . S .. Many states including Indiana limit the
ownership of live snakeheads. If snakeheads have been located within the wild, the most effective manner of
eradicating the population could contain the complete eradication of the fishery with a
piscicide. This can be powerful in small, isolated bodies of water. However, if a
snakehead populace turns into mounted in a river machine or a massive lake, the whole
eradication could be nearly not possible. In addition, there could in all likelihood be terrific public
outcry if a big body of water were cautioned for a whole eradication of the fishery.
Preventing the advent of snakeheads into Indiana is the principle control
objective. There are a few matters that you can do to assist prevent introducing snakeheads
and different invasive fish species.
Nine Learn how to correctly become aware of snakeheads and other invasive species.
Nine Do now not launch aquarium fish into the wild.
9 If you have a snakehead in an aquarium, it should be euthanized. IT IS THE LAW!
9 Kill all snakeheads caught, do not launch them alive.
9 Immediately file the sighting of snakeheads to the Indiana Department of
Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife and freeze fish for identification
verification.
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