Northern Snakehead
Channa argus
Overview
Habitat
- Tolerates a wide range of conditions, making it extremely hardy
- It can inhabit freshwater environments ranging from 0-30°C and even persists under ice cover
- Prefers stagnant shallow ponds or swamps with a mud substrate and aquatic vegetation but can also be found in slow muddy streams, canals, springs, reservoirs, lakes and rivers
Description
- It has a long torpedo shaped body, which can grow up to 90cm in length and weigh up to 15kg
- It has distinctive colour patterns, which vary depending on the habitat and can change rapidly
- Older fish have a series of 9-13 dark blotches, edged with white, down the sides
- A bimodal breather, meaning it can breathe both under water and at the surface
- It can survive out of the water for up to 4 days and move to new waterbodies
Origin and Worldwide Distribution
- Native to the rivers in southern and eastern China
- Unintentionally introduced to Russia in 1960s and Korea in early 1900s
- It spread from Korea into Japan
- Now present in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, USA and 4 European countries; Ukraine, Germany, Czechia and Slovakia
Potential or Known Impacts
- As highly efficient predator with few natural enemies, it can deplete commercially important and native fish stocks
- Not only consumes native adult fish but their eggs, crustaceans, insects and other organisms, impacting ecosystem function and food webs
- A vector for disease and parasites which affect native and commercially important species and humans
Is it found in Northern Ireland?
- It is not currently present in Northern Ireland
How could it get here?
- Spread has been a result of aquaculture, sport fishing, illegal online sale, live food trade and intentional and/or accidental release from aquarium trade, all of which are likely reasons for illegal introduction today
Management/Methods for Prevention:
- Prevention via enforcing the IAS (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) ensuring that C. argus is not introduced to Northern Ireland
- Reporting any sightings so that Rapid Response can be instigated
- If Rapid Response is not successful, management can include both physical and chemical control methods
Current Legislative Position (Listed on 02 August 2022)
- This species must not intentionally be brought into the Union; kept; bred; transported to, from or within the United Kingdom, unless for the transportation to facilities in the context of eradication; placed on the market; used or exchanged; permitted to reproduce, grown or cultivated; or released into the environment.