Snakehead fish became famous when wild and breeding specimens of this Asian predator was found in the United States. The fact that the Snakehead fish can grow larger than one metre and is highly adapted to low-oxygen waters and seasonal droughts naturally made the newspapers print article after article about this huge vicious predator fish that can breathe oxygen from the air and travel vast distances on land. The Snakehead is however not a ferocious baby-eater or pet dog attacker. There is a more sensible reason behind the Snakehead bans that were eventually issued by many of the U.S. states. Since the Snakehead is a very capable predator that is not native to the U.S. fauna, it might severely disrupt the ecosystem in regions where it is introduced. It can for instance compete with American predators for food or pose a treat to already endangered species that it perceives as prey.

Snakeheads are also known as Channa fish since they belong to the family Channa. The family Channa contains a wide range of different Snakehead species, e.g. Channa nox (Night Snakehead ), Channa asiatica (Chinese Snakehead) and Channa amphibeus (Chel Snakehead). Their native habitats are found in Asia and Africa. Another name for Snakehead fish is Frankenfish. It is possible to keep Snakeheads in aquariums, but you should always find out how large the Snakehead species that you are interested in will grow before you buy it. Snakeheads grow very fast and some species will grow larger than one meter, which makes them unsuitable for most hobbyist aquariums. It is believed that the wild and breeding Snakeheads that were found in the United States originated from Snakeheads that had been released by their owners when the Snakeheads grew to large for their aquarium or when they required more food than the aquarists was willing to pay for. In Asia, the Snakehead is a very popular food fish and another rumor tells the story about the Asian immigrant that imported a Snakehead to the United States to prepare a traditional Asian remedy for his sick sister. The sister did however recover before the fish reached him, and he deicide to spare its life and release it into the wild.

The Snakehead craze began in 2002 when a fisherman caught a Snakehead in Crofton. He practiced catch and release, but since he didn