2/26/2023 0 Comments Snakehead fish![]() ![]() A man admitted having released two adults, which he had purchased from a New York market, into the pond. ![]() The action was successful, and two adults and over 100 juvenile fish were found and destroyed. The snakehead fish was considered to be a threat to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and wary officials took action by draining the pond in an attempt to destroy the species. news when an alert fisherman discovered one in a Crofton, Maryland, pond in the summer of 2002. In the U.S., the snakehead is a top-level predator its introduction poses a substantial threat to native fish populations. argus has been introduced (intentionally or not) to several areas in the continental United States. In Asia, the snakehead fish is considered to be an important food fish. warpachowskii Berg, 1909 (Amur snakehead) eastern Russia. argus (Cantor, 1842) (Northern snakehead) China and Korea The eggs are guarded by the parents until yolk absorption, when the eggs are about 8 mm (0.31 in) long. Eggs hatch after about 1–2 days, but they can take much longer at lower temperatures. The eggs are yellow and spherical, about 2 mm (0.079 in) in diameter. Fertilization occurs in shallow water in the early morning. The eggs are fertilized externally a female can lay 100,000 eggs a year. It reaches sexual maturity at age two or three, when it will be about 30 to 35 cm (1 ft 0 in – 1 ft 2 in) long. The northern snakehead can double its population in as few as 15 months. The preferred habitats of this species are stagnant water with mud substrate and aquatic vegetation, or slow, muddy streams it is primarily piscivorous, but is known to eat crustaceans, other invertebrates, and amphibians. Only young of this species (not adults) may be able to move overland for short distances using wriggling motions. This unusual respiratory system allows it to live outside of water for several days it can wriggle its way to other bodies of water or survive being transported by humans. It is a facultative air breather it uses a suprabranchial organ and a bifurcated ventral aorta that permits aquatic and aerial respiration. The northern snakehead is a freshwater species and cannot tolerate salinity in excess of 10 parts per million. ![]() Northern snakehead in shallow water Behavior The northern snakehead has scales that continue uniformly from the body through to their head, whereas bowfin heads are smooth and free of scales. Another noticeable difference is that northern snakehead scales continue uniformly from their body to their head. Some contrasting differences in northern snakehead include the lack of a black eyespot on their caudal peduncle, a golden tan to brown coloration with dark splotches, a longer anal fin, a more elongated head, and an upper jaw that is shorter than its lower jaw. However, unlike bowfin which are native to North America, the northern snakehead is considered an invasive species and environmentally harmful. Bowfins are piscivorous fish commonly found throughout much of the eastern United States, and in southern Ontario and Quebec. Fish similar in appearance īowfins ( Amia calva) are commonly mistaken for northern snakeheads because of similarities in appearance, most noticeably their elongated, cylindrical shape, and long dorsal fin that runs along their backs. argus, the rear bar is irregular and blotched, with no pale areas around it. maculata, the rear bar is usually complete, with pale bar-like areas before and after, while in C. Coloration is nearly the same between juveniles and adults, which is unusual among snakeheads, and is similar to Channa maculata, but can be distinguished by two bar-like marks on the caudal peduncle (where the tail attaches) in C. Blotches toward the front tend to separate between top and bottom sections, while rear blotches are more likely to be contiguous. Its coloration is a golden tan to pale brown, with dark blotches on the sides and saddle-like blotches across the back. The largest registered by the International Game Fish Association weighed 8.05 kg (17 lb 12 oz), although this was surpassed by a 18.42 lb (8.36 kg) northern snakehead caught in 2016. It is generally reported to reach a length up to 100 cm (3 ft 3 in), but specimens approaching 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) are known according to Russian ichthyologists. The distinguishing features of a northern snakehead include a long dorsal fin with 49–50 rays, an anal fin with 31–32 rays, a small, anteriorly depressed head, the eyes above the middle part of the upper jaw, a large mouth extending well beyond the eye, and villiform teeth in bands, with large canines on the lower jaw and palatines.
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