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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | Saw this on the CNN web site:
Snakehead fish found in Wisconsin
Wednesday, September 24, 2003 Posted: 4:29 AM EDT (0829 GMT)
JANESVILLE, Wisconsin (AP) -- A carnivorous alien fish known for its voracious appetite and ability to wriggle short distances on land has been found in southern Wisconsin's Rock River.
The discovery of the 2-foot-long giant snakehead by the state Department of Natural Resources marks the first time the species, a native of Asia, has been found in Wisconsin waters, where officials said it may not survive the winter cold.
"This was a real wake-up call," said Mike Staggs, director of fisheries at the DNR.
The giant snakehead can grow to more than three feet in length, and fish managers say that with no natural predator, it could change the local fish population and introduce new diseases.
A year ago, wildlife officials in Maryland killed six adult and more than 1,000 juvenile northern snakehead, a close relative to the giant snakehead, found in a pond.
The DNR found the giant snakehead during a routine fish survey of the Rock River September 4.
The DNR said an employee misidentified the fish as a native bowfin. It was photographed and released before the DNR later concluded it was a snakehead.
Two crews were sent back to the river last Thursday and three more crews went back Tuesday to look for evidence of snakeheads but found none, Staggs said.
Staggs said the results indicate the fish does not appear to be widespread in the river, and the individual snakehead likely was released by a hobbyist after outgrowing an aquarium.
Releasing aquarium fish into the wild in Wisconsin is illegal.
It's unlikely the giant snakehead could survive the cold water of a Wisconsin winter, Staggs said.
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Posts: 476
Location: WI | Great!! Since I fish on the river that runs into the Rock River, and catch plenty of bowfin aka dogfish, now I'm going to have to tangle with a prehistoric carnivorous alien fish!!! |
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Posts: 2378
| Here's a link to an article with the picture. kind of a nice looking fish for a murderous savage. nice coloring.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/4115924.html |
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Location: Pewaukee, WI | No natural predator?????? looks like it would fit on a quick strike rig to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Posts: 476
Location: WI | I tell you what, if they fight anything like a dogfish, they would be fun to CATCH on a quick set rig!!! |
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Posts: 532
Location: Chicago, IL | I don't mean to stir anything up, but I saw a similar fish on Loon Lake in Illinois.....
The one that I saw was a little more white in color, and a friend and I basically watched it swim around our boat. We were told it was a white amur, but it was not. Hmmmmm.... This was also around 4 or 5 years ago, but now this has me thinking. Anyone else ever see anything like this? It kind of looked like a giant fighting fish(beta) that you see in aquariums.
Any ideas on what it could have been?
-Phil C.
Edited by MuskyPippo 9/24/2003 5:59 PM
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | Other than the color, it looks just like a dogfish. I doubt it can do much more damage than a dogfish. It just gives reason to stock more muskies. |
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