Cut the head off this invasive python-looking fish if you see it, conservationists say
The fish can also breathe air, allowing them to survive for several days out of water if their skin stays moist.
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Conservationists are telling anglers to cut the head off a predatory, reptile-looking fish that can breathe air if they find one.
Northern snakehead fish are native to Asia, and were first found in the U.S. in 2002 in a pond in Maryland, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Two years later, snakeheads spread to the Potomac River and now, Missouri is one of the latest states to warn about the invasive fish species.
The northern snakehead is an invasive fish species with a fitting name. Its head resembles a snake, and its body pattern and color resemble those of a python.
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The northern snakehead has a python-like pattern and coloring.
(Missouri Department of Conservation / FOX Weather)
The fish can also breathe air, allowing them to survive for several days out of water if their skin stays moist, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
They have large mouths and sharp, pointy teeth and can slither across land to get to water.
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Northern Snakehead eating American Eel
(Josh Newhard/USFWS / FOX Weather)
Northern snakeheads can grow to be three feet long, the MDC said.
"This fish is one of Missouri’s newest invasive species threats," said Angela Sokolowski, an MDC invasive species ecologist. "They look like native bowfin fish, so it’s important to properly identify."
Bowfin differ in their coloring, too. Northern snakehead fish tend to be tan-colored with dark brown mottling, while bowfin are usually olive-colored with a black spot at the base of their tail.
Bowfin also have peg-like teeth instead of pointy ones like the snakehead, the MDC said.
Conservationists want you to catch and kill northern snakeheads not because of their hair-raising appearance but because they threaten native fish species and compete for resources.
Northern snakehead in someone's hands.
(Ryan Hagerty/USFWS / FOX Weather)
It's also illegal in the U.S. to transport, sell, purchase or possess the northern snakehead under the Lacey Act, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Lacey Act prohibits the importation or shipment of "injurious" animals such as the northern snakehead.
Agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Missouri Department of Conservation encouraged anglers to target northern snakeheads when fishing. The MDC recommended removing the fish's head, gutting it or putting it in a sealed plastic bag to kill it.
After killing a northern snakehead, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or your state's conservation office to report the fish. In Missouri, the Department of Conservations asks residents to take a photo of the fish so it can be positively identified.