‘Frankenfish’ strikes again

Earlier this month, a 12-foot beluga whale lost its way in the Delaware River, far away from home. But much fishier was the resurgence of the northern snakehead species in FDR Park’s Meadow Lake within the last week.

After last summer’s infiltration of the rare species, which are native to China, Russia and Korea, fishing experts were hoping the predators would disappear.

But instead, the "Frankenfish" reproduced.

"Our belief is that they reproduced over the winter," said Dan Tredinnick, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Officials’ suspicions were confirmed when an expert from the Academy of Natural Sciences captured a 4-inch snakehead. A total of 15 fish, ranging in size, have now been caught.

The snakehead fish, which tends to eat everything in its path, can live outside water for several days and wiggle on land for short distances. The fish’s strange abilities and appearance earned it the nickname "Frankenfish."

According to the Fish and Boat Commission, the fish has a torpedo-shaped body, a flattened pointy head and long lower jaws with teeth. Anglers should not confuse the species with Pennsylvania’s native bowfin and burbot fish.

The first incidence of snakeheads in this country occurred in Maryland three years ago. Although the commission can’t identify how the fish entered FDR’s pond, officials have been communicating with about eight other states, Maryland included, which have had similar fishy experiences.

"It’s mainly an information-sharing exercise, but we have no magic bullet for dealing with them," Tredinnick said.

The snakehead poses a threat to the native species in the pond, he added.

"Because it’s a predator, there’s the possibility that it could become the dominant species in the pond," Tredinnick said. "A predator competing with other fish species throws the natural occurrence out of whack."

But, according to Tredinnick, the commission won’t be able to understand the species’ real impact for three to five years. The species are easier to find in smaller ponds than in large bodies of water, but Tredinnick doesn’t dismiss the notion of discovering snakeheads in the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers at some point, possibly in a routine sampling.

It is against Pennsylvania law to possess or transport a live snakehead. The commission urges anyone who catches a snakehead to call 610-847-3442. After making a positive identification of the species, it should be destroyed properly and promptly.

"We don’t want them to go back into the water," Tredinnick said.