Northern snakeheads are indigenous to the Yangtze River in China. The invasive species somehow made its way to the United States and was found in a pond just north of Atlanta. Wildlife officials in Georgia want it to be killed immediately before it has a chance to invade ponds in nearby areas such as Newnan. Flyer printing can be used in such cases to teach locals how to identify it.
The official statement from the wildlife officials says:
“If you think you’ve caught a northern snakehead…kill it immediately and freeze it. If possible, take pictures of the fish, including close-ups of its mouth, fins and tail and note where it was caught.”
Snakeheads are unique because they have a special bladder that allows them to survive for close to four days out of water. If it finds some mud to burrow into, it can last even longer on land. This unique adaptation means that it can travel over land to infest new bodies of water and this gives it a competitive edge over local species.
Georgia wildlife services want the snakehead dead because it poses a threat to indigenous species. The snakeheads compete with other fish for habitat and food, and its ability to travel on land puts the local species at a disadvantage. Georgia is now one of 14 states that have reported sightings of the species.