Invasive Species: Snakehead Fish

Invasive Species: Snakehead Fish — page 1

Invasive Species: Snakehead Fish — page 2 — MONSTER FISH A bluegill swims out of a patch of weeds The small fish makes its way into a muddy area of the water Suddenly a snakehead fish snaps up the bluegill The snakehead’s pointy teeth make it a fierce hunter However this invasive species is having a harmful effect on certain areas The bluegill is a popular catch for fishers in the United States 5 CHAPTER 1

Invasive Species: Snakehead Fish — page 3 — The snakehead is a large fish It often weighs 10 to 12 pounds 4.5 5.4 kg Its body can grow up to 5 feet 1.5 m long As a result the snakehead is sometimes called a monster fish It is causing problems in several areas of the United States For example snakeheads live in the Potomac River This freshwater river flows into the salty Chesapeake Bay In fact snakeheads have spread to many rivers that flow into the bay In 2012 people discovered snakehead fish in one of these rivers Scientists studied the snakeheads impact They counted dozens of fish species They 6

Invasive Species: Snakehead Fish — page 4 — Some snakeheads are called Frankenfish due to their scary appearance learned that at least 17 of those species were smaller in number Scientists also found many of those fish inside snakeheads stomachs Snakeheads were killing huge numbers of fish 7

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