Northern Snakehead

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.

Species Related Files:

RA_Channa_argus_Northern_snakehead