Exotic Fish Has Maryland Officials Bracing for Battle

Following reports of the capture and release of a northern snakehead (Channa argus)--an exotic fish native to China--in a small pond in central Maryland, officials have issued an all-points bulletin for information on further sightings of other individuals of this fish. Snakeheads can survive out of water for up to several days and can use their over-sized fins to “walk” from one water body to another. The fear is that individuals of the species could invade other nearby water bodies, including a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, reproduce, and establish a self-supporting population that could wreck harm on native animals. This event has drawn huge press coverage.