Aquatic Nuisance - snakeheads
Giant Snakehead (Channa micropeltes)
Northern Snakehead (Channa argus)
Bullseye Snakehead (Channa marulius)
Blotched Snakehead (Channa maculata)
Where did they come from?
- Originated Southeast Asia (i.e. China, Korea, and Japan) and Russia.
Where can they be found in South Dakota?
- No species of snakehead is currently in South Dakota.
What do they look like?
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Snakeheads have long, fully connected dorsal and anal fins.
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Adult snakeheads have large visible teeth on both the upper and lower jaws.
Why are they a problem?
- The effects of snakehead introductions are widely unknown as the species has only recently been introduced to the United States.
- Since they are a largely piscivorous fish, it is believed they may directly compete with native predatory fishes such as walleye and pike.
How are they spread?
- It is believed that snakeheads were introduced to lakes and rivers by aquarists and fish markets after care for the animals became difficult and/or expensive.
Check out Aquatic Nuisance Species Prevention on ways to prevent the spread of Aquatic Nuisance Species
Snakehead links
USGS fact sheet on Giant Snakehead
USGS fact sheet on Northern Snakehead
USGS fact sheet on Bullseye Snakehead
USGS fact sheet on Blotched Snakehead
Pictures of Snakeheads
SD AIS Species
A.I.S. Fish
Asian Carp
Common Carp
Western Mosquitofish
European Rudd
Snakehead
A.I.S. Invertebrates
Zebra & Quagga Mussels
Rusty Crayfish
Asian Clam
New Zealand Mudsnail
Red-rimmed Melania
A.I.S. Plants
Brittle Naiad
Didymo
Curlyleaf Pondweed
Flowering Rush
Eurasian Water Milfoil
Purple Loosestrife