# Snakeheads



## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

Just watched a program where they talked about river monsters and showed a map where Snakeheads were in Florida.

Are they around here? I've not seen one and wondered if anyone had seen/caught one. C2


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## Bonsaifishrman (Mar 17, 2009)

? I don't get it, please elaborate or make a link or something. Whats a snakehead other than one I chopped off.


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## swhiting (Oct 4, 2007)

Snakeheads are foreign species.. Asian types. Will take over/devastate local waterways. Freshwater I believe. South Florida is being inundated with them. Sort of like the python problem. Non-native species of animals being introduced into a new habitat and they have very few, if any, predators and have a ferocious appetite.


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## Big Red (Oct 1, 2007)

Here's a link to some pictures.
snakehead fish - Google Search


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## fisherick (Oct 2, 2007)

anyone know whether they fry up nice?


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## swhiting (Oct 4, 2007)

Only second-hand accounts that they're good eating....

Of course, if you look long enough you can hear that about cigar minnows, bonita, ladyfish, sharks........


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## feelin' wright (Oct 7, 2007)

I understand that Swhiting. I used to work with a guy that said his favorite fish to eat was fried bluefish. I tried it once on his recommendation. Never again


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## Bonsaifishrman (Mar 17, 2009)

Thanks all for the info on the "real snake head fish". Looked over the link and they are definitely edible. They look tropical though and wouldn't think they would servive up here. 

Feelin' Wright, Blue Fish are prepared many ways and served in the finest restaurants up and down the north east coast for big bucks per serving.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

I have owned nearly a dozen species of channa (snakeheads) before the ban. The species in South Florida are Channa marulia aka cobra snakehead. The species, like channa argus in the Potomac are thought to have come from live fish food markets in the Asian community. Cobra snakeheads have been there for years but are still limited to just a few canal systems. The fish is the longest snakehead but not the biggest. It is actually a very smart fish and challenging to catch and taste very very good!

Snakeheads get a bad reputation due to the media. Out of the 30+ species of channa, only a few get over twelve inches. Most are in the 6-10" range. Not all species are tropical. Their native range extends from south east Asia, north to the koreas/Russia/China and as far west as Iran and Afghanistan.


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## Bonsaifishrman (Mar 17, 2009)

JD7.62 said:


> I have owned nearly a dozen species of channa (snakeheads) before the ban. The species in South Florida are Channa marulia aka cobra snakehead. The species, like channa argus in the Potomac are thought to have come from live fish food markets in the Asian community. Cobra snakeheads have been there for years but are still limited to just a few canal systems. The fish is the longest snakehead but not the biggest. It is actually a very smart fish and challenging to catch and taste very very good!
> 
> Snakeheads get a bad reputation due to the media. Out of the 30+ species of channa, only a few get over twelve inches. Most are in the 6-10" range. Not all species are tropical. Their native range extends from south east Asia, north to the koreas/Russia/China and as far west as Iran and Afghanistan.


Thanks for the detailed update info on these fish.


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

My concern about these fish is that they can take over a body of water, eating up all the native fish.

Let's not get complacent. Here's an article:

Attack of the Killer Snakeheads

Charlie2


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## Bonsaifishrman (Mar 17, 2009)

Very interesting excert from the Snakehead article: Most fish are content to live out their lives swimming in their own little pond. Not so for the northern snakehead, who is among a class of fish that possess the ability to breath air. They can literally hop out on dry land and take a hike for greener pastures - or bluer waters, as the case may be.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Ive spoke with biologist working with the Potomac and Arkansas River populations of C. argus and all have said that the species has yet to have a measurable impact on native populations. Of course in the case of the Potomac its been less then ten years but they are geographically restricted by the Atlantic ocean and the falls at the rivers head. Bet ya never heard they where in the Arkansas River did ya and that Channa argus was once a very popular farmed fish in the state? Despite being hit by the same flooding that released the silver carp from Arkansas aquaculture ponds in the early '90's, C. argus did not do really well especially compared to the silver carp and have not spread and their numbers are very very small.

It is true that some Channa have an ability to survive well for a short time out of water and in water with extremly low oxygen levels (hence their popularirty in live food markets) but the whole "getting out on dry land and walking for days" thing is BS. The fish can move over a very wet field during a rain storm but thats about it. Like any other fish, once dried out, its dead. The fish must remain wet.

I do agree that non-native fish or any other or plants for that matter can always negatively impact the native wildlife. I believe we should all be careful to not intoruduce non native wildlife. However Channa are not the "frankenfish" and doomsday bringer to natives many people believe. The silver and bighead carp are by far more of a problem but dont get the media coverage as they arent "scary." Oh, and dont get me started on domestic cats, they really are the worse thing for native animals BY FAR! 

Channa were once popular with aquarists due to their small size and beautiful colors (C. argus and C. maurulia were not popular at all with aquarist due to their drab colors and large size but instead were important in the food fish industry). Here are few of my favorite, look at those colors for a frankenfish!!!

Channa aurutimaculata: Max size 14"










C. pleurophthalma: Max size 14"









C. bleheri: Max size 5"









C. pulchra: Max size 7"


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## Bonsaifishrman (Mar 17, 2009)

Very pretty looking fish. I would like to catch a few of those other big variety for fun and fish fry.


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## Rockntroll (Oct 2, 2007)

They eat them in Asia. I seen the Filipinos grill a whole snake fish ungutted during a beer drinking session. I tried it and it was not to bad. I think it was sort of like catfish


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## baitcasterbpy20 (Aug 10, 2010)

I think the discovery channel or something like that did a whole documentary about snakeheads


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## Shankopotamus (Apr 8, 2009)

I've seen that episode of river monsters too. From the sound of it, snakeheads are good eating which is why they were brought over here. But like was previously stated they can devistate local fresh water bc of no other predators it this region.


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

I think their habit of the male herding the fry in a small ball while the female patrols the perimeter invites the use of a good bait cast net as an effective population control. Just don't throw the fry out on the bank. They'll jump right back in. JMHO C2


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## davdoc0011 (Nov 13, 2008)

They look pretty neat!


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