Folks need to get all the facts about a species before they start criticizing. Either the fish is a threat or not, you don't get both.

Nice talk! That's what they called my old girl friend.

so... the snakehead is the invasive species...???

if people are actively fishing for specificly snakeheads than i dont think it is that fare-fetched to keep the population in check an still have a balalnced ecosystem

bass < snakehead

That is one ugly fish. Looks a lot like a grinnel(bowfin). If it tastes anything like one, most people won't eat it. I would try one if I were to catch it, just to see how it tastes. I bet Andrew Zimmern would like it. That man will eat anything!

As for the taste, they're great battered and fried, or even as ceviche. Thick white fillets, big flakes - there's a lot to like about eating them.

Congratulations to Juan Duran for catching such a fine speciman! John Odenkirk is correct in his assessment of the snakehead filling a previously-vacant ecological niche in North America's environment. This fish will probably not have a significant impact on the fresh-water ecology relative to its surroundings and food sources, and will not displace largemouth and smallmouth bass or other native predators. To compare its introduction and impact to that of the Burmese python in the Everglades or Asian carp in Mid-Western rivers is like comparing apples and oranges --- each species has to be evaluated in terms of a multitude of variable factors that constitute its adoptive environment, and how it fits in relative to other existing species.

While the Burmese python certainly is not a good fit in the Everglades and has had a hugely negative impact on the fauna ( and even the flora, by way of decimation of many plant-eating species ), the snakehead may be different. I also agree with Steve Chaconas' assessment in the field that the snakehead is clearly not some monstrosity. It is instead a well-developed apex predator that, like all predators that survive to be adults, experiences a high mortality rate from predation of its young, ironically by larger specimans of the very fish species that it will feed on as an adult, which would explain the stabilization of its population.

We would do well to remember that many native species from one part of the country which have been deemed desirable have been introduced to other parts of the country where they never existed before, a case in point being the striped bass, which is a voracious predator in its own right. Its introduction to, and long-term establishment in, the riverine and coastal systems of the West Coast appear not to have negatively impacted those eco-systems, indicating that it has found a balanced niche.

In its native habitat in Asia, the snakehead fulfills the same ecological niche that it has taken up here. There are similar co-predators and forage fish at different levels in the Asian riverine systems, and the snakehead has reached a balance relative to these species with no untoward deterioration in the population of any single species.

The snakehead is also a far more powerful game fish than the bass, and a much better table fish as well. It certainly has no resemblance to the bowfin beyond a superficial general outline. Jakenbake was absolutely right about the meat --- flaky and snow-white when cooked, and extremely good when steamed. A simple Chinese recipe that is absolutely delicious is as follows:

1. After thoroughly cleaning and dressing out the fish, cut it into thin steaks, or its fillets into large thin slices
2. Garnish with thinly-sliced ginger root and chopped green onions
3. Add soy sauce to taste
4. An added option is to sprinkle the fish with sesame oil after adding the soy sauce
5. Steam in covered container until the meat turns snow-white and flaky.
6. Save the stock from the steaming process --- you can put it over rice to add a lot of complementary flavor to the rice, or use it as a fish stock for other dishes.

Snakehead meat is also nutritionally dense, being full of protein, vitamins and minerals. It is a well-known fact in South-East Asia that snakehead meat promotes and accelerates the healing of wounds, as in after major surgery.

As for those who say that it is ugly, I will remind them that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and should be seen in the context of the animal's adaptation to its environment. The snakehead is a superbly-evolved creature that fits its surroundings well. The irridescent colors of its skin serve as excellent camoflage among aquatic vegetation, much the same way the markings on a muskellunge or bass do.

As bigz24bigbass wrote, this article is at least level-headed and unbiased ; in my view, the author is to be congratulated for excellent journalism.

By the way, far larger snakeheads are commonly caught in places such as Malaysia and Thailand. Probably the reason why none has been submitted for an IGFA record is because they are viewed more as desirable food fish than game fish in that region.

When u catch thse snake head fish dec sez you have to kill and freez and thencall the dec ! There a very dangrous fish

cwdIII :

Just so there is no misunderstanding on this issue, I stated specifically that snakeheads are viewed as desirable food fish rather than as game fish in South-east Asia ( Malaysia and Thailand ), where they are native. I did not say that they were "desirable" in the context of the North American aquatic eco-system.

I certainly agree that they are an invasive species on this continent and that they have the potential to have a major impact on the natural environment. However, whether they actually do so in the long run remains to be seen. They may actually find a niche in the food chain that does not cause severe problems. Only time will tell, and so far the indications are that they have not negatively impacted the eco-system. In the meantime, since we are stuck with the snakehead as an invasive species and since it is almost impossible to eradicate them, we might as well make the most use of them as a resource, which will at least help control their numbers.

Once again, we should remember that the striped bass is an introduced species on the West Coast, and is therefore by any definition an invasive non-native species in that region. We were just lucky that the striped bass happened to fit into a niche that did not adversely impact the environment. The same goes for many species of trout that have been introduced into streams and eco-systems where they are non-native and therefore "invasive".

Scout79 :

I am in full agreement with you that our environmental resources are too valuable to gamble with, and that the track records of most invasive species are not good. If you read my previous posts carefully in detail, you will realize this.

All I am saying in the context of the snakehead is that it is already deeply-entrenched in our eco-system to the point where it will be almost impossible to entirely eradicate the species without prohibitive cost and possibly extensive collateral damage to the environment. No-one is suggesting taking a chance on the snakehead and letting it thrive unhindered. Be that as it may, it is already so well-established that we do not have a choice but to do our best to control it and will have to see what happens in the long term since we appear to be saddled with it whether we like it or not.

What we can do for now until better measures are arrived at is to fish for it extensively, and since it is an excellent food fish, at least enjoy the catch from the culinary perspective instead of wasting it.

For any of you who think this is not possible, just look at the numerous species of fish that have at one time or the other been endangered ( or which have been severely impacted ) over the course of the years by over-fishing. The Atlantic cod, assorted groupers and snapper, salmon, bluefin tuna, haddock, snook, redfish, herring, shad and sharks, to name just a few.

So what is to stop us from impacting the snakehead to the same degree or greater, if we are truly concerned with controlling or attempting to eradicate it while taking advantage of its qualities as a game and table fish?

I must say I was very disappointed to get 14 pages into this article without seeing a single fisherman practicing safe boating. Kudos to the man in the last pic that chose to be smart and wear a helmet!