What is Fishzilla?

What exactly makes a snakehead a snakehead? This post will explain what a snakehead is, its role as an apex predator, and other scientific attributes. Usually found in Eastern Asia, snakeheads invaded the U.S. in 2002 and have been classified as an injurious species. They have earned the nicknames “Fishzilla” or “Frankenfish” due to their strange behavior and anatomy. So let’s learn a bit more about these creatures with this introduction.



Channidae, or Snakehead as it’s commonly known as is what I will cover the most throughout this blog. The northern snakehead (Channa argus) and the giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes) are the specific types that were first introduced to our Maryland shores, a topic I will cover later. This species of fish is extremely voracious, consuming prey whole within a split second. Naturally, snakeheads are predators that feed on other fish, making them apex predators. Since they have no natural opposing predators, they can hunt mercilessly without any repercussion to their well-being. This is especially true when it comes to snakeheads in our lakes and rivers as they take over almost every location they come across with ease. (Lagasse, "snakehead")

Female snakeheads become reproductively mature in about two years and are able to spawn thousands of eggs at a time, further adding to their invasive nature. The parents, both male and female, take extra care with their young. They protect their nest until they hatch and school with them for a couple weeks, teaching them to hunt. It’s observed that this behavior may also improve their reproductive success since they don’t have any natural predators, besides humans.

The snakehead body is built for hunting with strength and swiftness. They are elongated fish with long dorsal fins and small heads, perfect for going in for the kill. Their mouths are filled with rows of sharpened teeth, which they use to feed on other fish, mammals and small birds. They take up a ton of space in their environment, growing up to three feet long and eating other reliable sources of food for native fish. A natural feature unique to snakeheads is their ability to survive and “walk” on land, up to several days at a time. Not only do they have gills normally as a fish, but they also possess primitive lungs they use to breath. This means that snakeheads are essentially able to migrate to different bodies of water, thanks to their dorsal fins and long body allowing them to move around with relative ease on solid ground. (Landis, "First Record") Over the many years of evolution with these features has allowed these fish to gain the nickname, “Fishzilla” due to its overwhelming predatory presence.

Works Cited:
“Aquatic Species – Northern Snakehead (Channa argus)”, National Invasive Species Information Center, https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/snakehead.shtml, Accessed Feb 10 2018.

 "snakehead." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Paul Lagasse, and Columbia University, Columbia University Press, 7th edition, 2017. Credo Reference, http://libproxyccc.nau.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/columency/snakehead/0?institutionId=3245. Accessed 10 Feb 2018.

 “Northern Snakehead”, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45470.html, Accessed Feb 11, 2018.

 “First Record of a Northern Snakehead (Channa argus Cantor) Nest in North America.”, Andrew Gascho Landis and Nicolas Lapointe, Northeastern Naturalist. 2010, Vol. 17 Issue 2, p325-332. 8p., Accessed Feb 11, 2018.

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