Snakeheads - Bringers of Fear, Myths and Controversy
Snakeheads have some pretty terrible nicknames such as
Frankenfish. They have gotten a lot of media attention lately
since they found a breeding population in a pond in Maryland.
They have since been found living in other waters in southern
USA but are still not to be considered established in any area.
This is largely due to massive government work to keep them from
establishing themselves.
The fear for snakeheads has its basis in the fact that they are
ferocious predators that can swallow fish of half their own
size. This has meant that many now fear that Snakeheads could do
massive damage to the eco systems if the where ever to establish
themselves in the US. A result of this fear is the ban to import
snakeheads that was imposed 2003. This has however not stopped
live snakeheads from being available in Asian food markets and
the aquarium trade.
They are originally found in Africa and South East Asia where
they are appreciated food sources. Snakeheads vary in size from
very small to very large. The largest species can reach over one
yard (almost one meter) in length. Snakeheads differ from many
other fishes due to the fact that they breathe air by using
something called a labyrinth which enables them to consume
oxygen from the atmosphere. This means that they can live for
long periods on land as long as they can stay moist. They use
this ability to walk to new areas to live and feed in.
Snakeheads drown if they can't access the surface to get air.
They are popular aquarium fishes and many aquarists are
opposing the decision to ban snakeheads and believe that
snakehead import for the aquarium trade should be allowed. They
believe that import at the very least should be permitted in
colder states where snakeheads can't survive in the wild. They
have a point in this believe since snakeheads re unable to
survive in most areas in the USA due to the fact that they need
warm water to survive. Allowing snakehead import in some states
will however make it harder to enforce the ban in the states
where they could survive which could serve to justify the nation
wide ban.
There is no doubt that the Snakeheads has triggered fear, myths
and controversy in the USA