Ok, now I wrote this as a paper for english class. All of my work has been found online in articles and books. NO WILKIPEDIA! Let me know what you think.
Since 2002, headlines have reported the introduction of the fish called the snakehead into American waterways. Since then the fish has been called Fishzilla and has been portrayed as a ruthless killer that will eat anything that it can get its mouth around. Scientists have said that in only a short time a group of mating snakeheads could destroy an entire ecosystem. Yet some believe that the snakehead invasion has been blown way out of proportion and there is no research showing that the snakehead has done any damage to American waterways. But all you have to do is look into the past to see what happens when invasive species thrive in a new environment. I believe in the next 10-15 years snakehead populations will take hold in America and adversely affect our lakes and streams.
The scientific name of the snakehead family is Channidae and under that there are two extant genera, the Channa in Asia and the Parachanna in Africa. The entire Channidae family consists of 30-35 species. Their fossil record reaches back to at least 50 million years ago. They are predatory fishes that have very large teeth, a long dorsal fin, a small head, a large mouth, and large scales on the head. To survive, the snakehead must breathe atmospheric air. That adaptation also gives the snakehead the ability to live out of water for quite some time. When they are young, snakeheads eat plankton, mollusks, insects, and small fish. As they grow larger, they eat larger fish like carp, frogs, and even mammals like rats. The giant snakehead can reach up to 3 feet in length. The northern snakehead can reach sexual maturity at age 2 or 3 and is capable of reproducing 5 times a year and creating 15,000 offspring per time. Snakeheads are very protected parents which ensures that their offspring will survive to become adults. Snakeheads also do not like to be enclosed in a small area compared to their size and will try to smash fish tanks by ramming into them or try to find a way to jump out. They also can walk a short distance to a new waterway and can stay alive out of water for upwards of 3 days if kept properly hydrated. In their natural environments snakeheads are considered valuable food items. Larger species are farmed for their meat. They are also in sync with their environments. There are no mass epidemics of snakehead invasions in Africa and Asia because they have predators to eat them, whereas in the Americas, they have no natural predators. The main fears scientists have about the invasion of the snakehead is its ability to reproduce readily and compete with other natural predators for food.
To understand what could happen in the future with the introduction of the snakehead in American waters we must first look to the past. Humans have been introducing invasive species for hundreds of years across the globe. You can look as far back as the early 1500's when Conquisitors introduced rats to the new world. Rats spread disease across the new world killing thousands upon thousands of natives. Of course today rats are a well populated species across the Americas. In some locations their populations are barely held in check. Another noteworthy invasive species is the introduction of the rabbit to Australia. There the rabbit caused miles upon miles of devastation to low lying plants to the point where the Australian government erected a three foot fence from one side of the country to the next to prevent the growing population of rabbits from destroying the entire country's vegetation. The rabbits could see the green vegetation on the other side of the fence and thousands gather upon the fence trying to reach it. As time went on the first rabbits to reach the fence got squished to death by the new rabbits trying to get at the vegetation. At one point rabbits were hopping on their dead brethren in attempts to get over the fence. Reports claim the dead rabbit wall was a few feet in height, high enough for live rabbits to jump over the fence. In Australia the rabbit has few predators, aside from man, and can reproduce quite readily. In America, rabbits have many enemies to keep its population in check and the high reproductive rate keeps the population from dwindling. The similarities between the rabbit and the snakehead in predators and reproduction is almost exact. Any animal that is introduced into a new territory or is forced there by the will of humans can and will affect its new environment in order to survive. We as humans are the worse animal to do this and we have caused great devastation to our world as we know it.
The snakehead epidemic started out in a small pond in Crofton, Maryland in 2002. A man who was fishing in the pond caught an unknown fish. He took a few photos of the fish before releasing it back into the pond. He then sent those photos to a local fish and game office to see what kind of fish he caught. The fish and game warden, after seeing the pictures of the snakehead that was caught, immediately called a meeting to determine how to deal with this invasive fish. The conclusion of the meeting was to spray Crofton Pond with two types of poison, rotenone and potassium permanganate. Rotenone is a poison that kills effectively but has little affect on the environment. Potassium permanganate is an oxidizer and was actually used to clear the water of the rotenone in Crofton Pond. Potassium permanganate also has a killing affect on fish. After the fish in Crofton Pond were exterminated there came a huge sigh of relief across the scientific community. But it didnt take long for the snakehead to come back. Fish started to be caught across the country in large waterways. In large waterways scientists cannot use poison. Crofton pond showed the reproductive might of the snakehead and in large waterways the snakehead could easily out produce its prey. It does not take long for a few adult snakeheads to establish into an environment.
In as little at 10 to 15 years from now America may see an explosion in the snakehead population. Native species in the affected waters may become threatened or even extinct. Studies have shown that even the introduction of a species like a guppy into a small environment can completely destroy an entire species. Scientists would not be able to control the snakehead population. I do believe though that eventually the snakehead population will become symbiotic with the rest of the environment. Populations will dwindle because of the lack of a proper diet and as the snakehead numbers slowly decrease; native species numbers will increase. Eventually there will be some sort of balance with slight fluctuations from time to time.
Some scientists have already stated that snakeheads are currently established into environments and are a sure threat to native species. Still many scientists and enthusiasts dont agree with these early statements. It does take many years for a nationwide scientific study to be complete. When the time comes everyone will know whether or not the snakehead is a threatening species. I do think that the snakehead is a threatening species. When things like discarding an invasive species into native waters is not seen as a problem is when it becomes a huge problem. It is unfortunate that this problem wasnt stopped at just Crofton Pond. Irresponsible owners who do not know the consequences of their actions are the real problem. People should be taught a few rules before buying a species that is threatening to the environment. If steps were taken prior to 2002, this atrocity could have been avoided.
The Introduction of the Snakehead into American Waterways
By Jonathan Shank
The scientific name of the snakehead family is Channidae and under that there are two extant genera, the Channa in Asia and the Parachanna in Africa. The entire Channidae family consists of 30-35 species. Their fossil record reaches back to at least 50 million years ago. They are predatory fishes that have very large teeth, a long dorsal fin, a small head, a large mouth, and large scales on the head. To survive, the snakehead must breathe atmospheric air. That adaptation also gives the snakehead the ability to live out of water for quite some time. When they are young, snakeheads eat plankton, mollusks, insects, and small fish. As they grow larger, they eat larger fish like carp, frogs, and even mammals like rats. The giant snakehead can reach up to 3 feet in length. The northern snakehead can reach sexual maturity at age 2 or 3 and is capable of reproducing 5 times a year and creating 15,000 offspring per time. Snakeheads are very protected parents which ensures that their offspring will survive to become adults. Snakeheads also do not like to be enclosed in a small area compared to their size and will try to smash fish tanks by ramming into them or try to find a way to jump out. They also can walk a short distance to a new waterway and can stay alive out of water for upwards of 3 days if kept properly hydrated. In their natural environments snakeheads are considered valuable food items. Larger species are farmed for their meat. They are also in sync with their environments. There are no mass epidemics of snakehead invasions in Africa and Asia because they have predators to eat them, whereas in the Americas, they have no natural predators. The main fears scientists have about the invasion of the snakehead is its ability to reproduce readily and compete with other natural predators for food.
To understand what could happen in the future with the introduction of the snakehead in American waters we must first look to the past. Humans have been introducing invasive species for hundreds of years across the globe. You can look as far back as the early 1500's when Conquisitors introduced rats to the new world. Rats spread disease across the new world killing thousands upon thousands of natives. Of course today rats are a well populated species across the Americas. In some locations their populations are barely held in check. Another noteworthy invasive species is the introduction of the rabbit to Australia. There the rabbit caused miles upon miles of devastation to low lying plants to the point where the Australian government erected a three foot fence from one side of the country to the next to prevent the growing population of rabbits from destroying the entire country's vegetation. The rabbits could see the green vegetation on the other side of the fence and thousands gather upon the fence trying to reach it. As time went on the first rabbits to reach the fence got squished to death by the new rabbits trying to get at the vegetation. At one point rabbits were hopping on their dead brethren in attempts to get over the fence. Reports claim the dead rabbit wall was a few feet in height, high enough for live rabbits to jump over the fence. In Australia the rabbit has few predators, aside from man, and can reproduce quite readily. In America, rabbits have many enemies to keep its population in check and the high reproductive rate keeps the population from dwindling. The similarities between the rabbit and the snakehead in predators and reproduction is almost exact. Any animal that is introduced into a new territory or is forced there by the will of humans can and will affect its new environment in order to survive. We as humans are the worse animal to do this and we have caused great devastation to our world as we know it.
The snakehead epidemic started out in a small pond in Crofton, Maryland in 2002. A man who was fishing in the pond caught an unknown fish. He took a few photos of the fish before releasing it back into the pond. He then sent those photos to a local fish and game office to see what kind of fish he caught. The fish and game warden, after seeing the pictures of the snakehead that was caught, immediately called a meeting to determine how to deal with this invasive fish. The conclusion of the meeting was to spray Crofton Pond with two types of poison, rotenone and potassium permanganate. Rotenone is a poison that kills effectively but has little affect on the environment. Potassium permanganate is an oxidizer and was actually used to clear the water of the rotenone in Crofton Pond. Potassium permanganate also has a killing affect on fish. After the fish in Crofton Pond were exterminated there came a huge sigh of relief across the scientific community. But it didnt take long for the snakehead to come back. Fish started to be caught across the country in large waterways. In large waterways scientists cannot use poison. Crofton pond showed the reproductive might of the snakehead and in large waterways the snakehead could easily out produce its prey. It does not take long for a few adult snakeheads to establish into an environment.
In as little at 10 to 15 years from now America may see an explosion in the snakehead population. Native species in the affected waters may become threatened or even extinct. Studies have shown that even the introduction of a species like a guppy into a small environment can completely destroy an entire species. Scientists would not be able to control the snakehead population. I do believe though that eventually the snakehead population will become symbiotic with the rest of the environment. Populations will dwindle because of the lack of a proper diet and as the snakehead numbers slowly decrease; native species numbers will increase. Eventually there will be some sort of balance with slight fluctuations from time to time.
Some scientists have already stated that snakeheads are currently established into environments and are a sure threat to native species. Still many scientists and enthusiasts dont agree with these early statements. It does take many years for a nationwide scientific study to be complete. When the time comes everyone will know whether or not the snakehead is a threatening species. I do think that the snakehead is a threatening species. When things like discarding an invasive species into native waters is not seen as a problem is when it becomes a huge problem. It is unfortunate that this problem wasnt stopped at just Crofton Pond. Irresponsible owners who do not know the consequences of their actions are the real problem. People should be taught a few rules before buying a species that is threatening to the environment. If steps were taken prior to 2002, this atrocity could have been avoided.
