Is it a fish? Is it a snake? No, it’s a snakehead.
This marks the fourth time an angler has caught a northern snakehead fish, which is not native to the United States, in Missouri.
Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) fisheries biologists confirmed the catch took place in Wayne County on May 25, according to a recent press release.
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The predatory fish has a snake-like head and a body that can grow up to three feet long and has “python-like coloring and patterns.”
“The angler realized something was different and after examining the fish’s characteristics, determined it was indeed a snakehead,” MDC fisheries biologist Dave Knuth said in the release.
“The angler left the fish on the sidewalk for several hours, thinking it would die, but it didn’t.”
The snakehead was eventually transported to a local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) office and retrieved by MDC conservationists four hours after it was bagged, MDC said in a statement.
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“When I picked up the fish it was still alive,” said Jacob Plunkett, MDC Wayne County conservation officer.
Although this fish has a snake-like appearance, it can breathe air and crawl along the ground to reach water.
Because the turtle can breathe air, it can survive “in oxygen-depleted water or even out of water for several days” as long as its skin remains moist, the MDC report said.
“Snakehead fish are an invasive species native to Asia. They are aggressive predators that prey on native species and compete with them for resources,” the MDC statement said.
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The first northern snakehead was recorded in Missouri in 2019 after being caught in a drainage in Dunklin County.
This is the fourth time that the snakehead fish, an invasive species native to Asia, has been recorded in Missouri. Caught in Wayne County on May 25, the snakehead fish (not pictured) was transported to the local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) office and retrieved by MDC conservationists. Lake Wappapello Pictured here is part of the area where this snakehead was caught. (Recreation.gov, iStock)
The other two snakeheads identified by MDC were caught in 2023.
The MDC has published a series of checks to check if you come into contact with an invasive fish species.
Make sure the fish is truly a snakehead and not a native snakehead, which is a common mistake.
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Please do not release the fish or toss it on shore, instead take a photo of the fish to help MDC accurately identify the fish species and record the location where it was caught.
As long as their skin remains moist, snakeheads can breathe air and crawl on the ground to reach new bodies of water even after spending hours or even days out of the water. (iStock)
Kill the fish by separating the head from the body, gutting it, or placing it in a sealed bag.
The department urged people to report any catches or sightings of catfish to the MDC.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to MDC for comment.
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