Snakehead fish continuing their spread in southeast PA, Berks

Jun. 7—Snakehead. Frankenfish.

Neither of the common names for the submarine-shaped fish scientifically called Channa argus are particularly flattering.

They can grow in excess of 33 inches and have a toothy mouth and are native to China, Russian and Korea.

In the U.S., they are officially invasive.

The U.S. Geological Survey states, "During all of their life stages, snakehead fish compete with native species for food and habitat. A major concern is that snakeheads might out-compete (and eventually displace) important native or other established predatory fish that share the same habitat.

" As adults, snakeheads can be voracious predators. Should snakeheads become established in North American ecosystems, their predatory behavior could also drastically disrupt food webs and ecological conditions, thus forever changing native aquatic systems by modifying the array of native species."

The unwanted foreigners even have a bounty on their heads in Maryland.

On May 24, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced they were giving away gift cards valued at $10 to $200 for catching a tagged northern snakehead through 2024.

The state agency partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to place blue or yellow tags on 500 snakehead in an effort to monitor their population.

"In order to qualify, the harvester must report the tag number to USFWS at 800-448-8322, and is asked to take a picture of their harvested and tagged northern snakehead," the MDNR website states. "Only harvested northern snakeheads with reported tags will qualify for gift cards."

Unfortunately for Oley Township resident Brad Bosch, there is no bounty for the invasive species in Pennsylvania.

On May 21, he harvested a female with an egg sack he estimates was 18 to 24 inches long while hunting carp in the Maiden Creek along Route 662 in Richmond Township where it meets Moselem Creek and empties into Lake Ontelaunee.

Snakeheads are not new to Berks County.

The first official record of one being harvested was in 2017 at Bernhart Dam reservoir in Muhlenberg Township. The U.S. Geological Survey keeps an online database of northern snakehead harvests online in its Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

The first confirmed harvest of the fish in Pennsylvania occurred in Philadelphia's FDR Park in 2004.

"Our agency sends all confirmed records of aquatic invasive species, such as northern snakehead, to the U.S. Geological Survey Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database," said the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Andrew Desko in a May 31 email. "Other agencies and groups send records here as well, and it is up-to-date for Northern Snakehead (other than records for Blue Marsh Lake, which were just recently sent in)."

Desko is the southeast region outreach education coordinator for the fish and boat commission, which includes Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and Schuylkill counties.

Bosch's report to the commission was not logged on the USGS site as of June 7. There are only three reports logged for Berks on it: two at Bernhart Dam in 2017 and 2018, and one at Lake Ontelaunee in 2020.

Here are the number of reports of snakeheads on the USGS site from the rest of the fish and boat commission's southeast region: Bucks County, 11; Chester County, 5; Delaware County, 9; Lancaster County, 2; Northampton County, 2; Philadelphia, 4.

The only 2022 report listed for Pennsylvania was May 12 in Chester Creek at the Delaware County Field and Stream Association.

Bosch, 37, said he heard numerous fellow anglers talk of catching snakeheads in Lake Ontelaunee. He said he has been fishing for more than 20 years and bow fishing for about 10 years.

Snakeheads are not currently on the list of species allowed to be taken by bow in Pennsylvania.

"Here is the explanation of which groups of fish can be taken lawfully with a bow and arrow," Desko said. "Bow and arrow (including compound bows and crossbows) may be used for taking only carp, suckers and catfish on all commonwealth waters, day or night, with the following exceptions: bow fishing is strictly prohibited in stocked trout waters during the closed season and bow fishing is strictly prohibited in special regulation trout waters."

Bosch said he reported the snakehead he took by bow and was told he technically could be cited for it. However, since snakeheads are not officially on the harvest regulation list in Pennsylvania, he said he was told just to not do it again.

He said he hopes regulations are enacted to make taking invasive fish species by bow legal in Pennsylvania because it already is in Maryland and New Jersey. Unlike Pennsylvania, Maryland regulations only list species that cannot be taken with a bow, and in New Jersey snakeheads are specifically permitted.

In May 2020, Pennsylvania urged anglers to report and destroy any snakeheads caught in the lower Susquehanna River because they had been observed breaching the Conowingo Dam.

Now, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission website suggests anglers report snakehead catches to 814-359-5163, via email to sehartzell@pa.gov or on the an online form. The site also says it is unlawful to possess live snakehead species, introduce them into state waters, transport live ones or to sell or buy them.

Biologists believe they were introduced to U.S. waters by the pet owners or fans of local fish market offerings of the imported species.

Some anglers say they are good eating.

Bosch was partnering with friends who harvested snakeheads in Maryland and New Jersey to hold a fish fry after his catch.

Maryland restaurants have even had snakeheads on the menu for some time.

If you do catch what you think is a snakehead, be sure to get the identification right.

These torpedo-shaped fish can be confused with native fishes known as bowfin and burbot.

One major identifier is that a snakehead will have scales on the front of its tapered head. A burbot will have a single barbel on its chin, like the whiskers of a catfish. Bowfin are a species that are declining in number and have a more rounded head and may have a spot near the tail.

The fish and boat commission has created an identification poster at https://www.fishandboat.com/Fish/PennsylvaniaFishes/Documents/snakehead-poster.pdf.

snakehead fish identification poster