The northern snakehead (Channa argus) is a fish of snakehead fish native to China, Russia, and Korea. In the United States, the fish is considered to be a highly invasive species. In a well-known incident, several were found in a pond in Crofton, Maryland, which led to major media coverage and two movies about the incident, Snakehead Terror and Frankenfish.
Distinguishing features of the northern snakehead include a long dorsal fin with 49-50 ray...
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The northern snakehead (Channa argus) is a fish of snakehead fish native to China, Russia, and Korea. In the United States, the fish is considered to be a highly invasive species. In a well-known incident, several were found in a pond in Crofton, Maryland, which led to major media coverage and two movies about the incident, Snakehead Terror and Frankenfish.
Distinguishing features of the northern snakehead include a long dorsal fin with 49-50 rays, anal fin with 31-32 rays, small anteriorly-depressed head, eye above the middle part of the upper jaw, large mouth extending well beyond the eye, villiform teeth in bands, large canine on the lower jaw and palatines, length up to 40 inches (1.0 m), with one report of 60 inches (1.5m), and weight up to 15 pounds (7 kg). Coloration is a golden tan to pale brown, with dark blotches on the sides and saddle-like blotches across the back. Blotches toward the front tend to separate between top and bottom sections, while rear blotches are more...
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