Even in Northern state climates, the snakehead can survive a cold winter and even breed successfully throughout the season. While the snakehead fish has not fully established itself in North American water supplies, the consequences would be disastrous if it does happen to do so. With how aggressive this fish is and how capable it is at moving around, the transportation and sale of snakehead fish are illegal in many parts of the world. This enables the snakehead to live effectively both in and out of water. There is a space above their heads where oxygen is passed through and added to the blood vessels. Snakehead fish do not need to consume as much oxygen in the water as typical fish. This is possible because they have evolved over time in areas of seasonal water availability, and when their current water source dries up, they have been forced to find somewhere new. They travel on the surface similar to a way a snake would by wriggling their bodies along while searching for mud or water. If they burrow in mud, they can survive for an even longer period of time. It can breathe air easily and can travel on land for up to 4 days without entering another body of water. What sets this fish apart from other predatory fish is the fact that the snakehead can survive out of water. Ponds, swamps, and slow-moving streams are where this fish can typically be found, and it can survive in temperatures between 0 and 30 degrees Celsius. The snakehead prefers muddy and vegetated waters where it can blend in and hide well. In rare cases, they will eat plants depending on the availability of prey or the season. A snakehead’s diet is mostly fish, crustaceans, and insects. The fact that it’s a top-level predator means that it has no natural enemies in its environment, and the population of these fish can continue to grow unharmed. This makes these fish much more dangerous when placed in non-native areas, as they will completely decimate native fish populations. Bullseye Snakehead ( Channa marulius) Northern Snakehead ( Channa argus) Rainbow Snakehead ( Channa bleheri) Small Snakehead ( Channa asiatica) Stewart Snakehead ( Channa stewartii) Cobra Snakehead ( Channa Aurantimaculata)Ĭonsidered an unusual fish, the snakehead is a top-level predator and is highly capable of destroying populations of fish in the body of water it’s residing in. The snakehead fish varies in color and size but will typically match the color of the freshwater environment it’s living in. When you’re looking at its head, you can see it has a protruding lower jaw with a row of sharp teeth. It’s also very long and shaped like a cylinder. The reason it’s called a snakehead is because of the enlarged scales that can be found on its head. Unfortunately, it is an invasive species in American waters and has been found in freshwater sources across many different U.S. The snakehead fish is an air-breathing freshwater fish that is native to certain areas in Asia and Africa.
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