Despite a ban on importing the Asian snakehead fish into the country, a British angler has caught one of the predators in a river there. A two foot long one, in fact.
A savage fish deadlier than a piranha that has killed people has been caught on British shores for the first time.
The giant snakehead – so called because of its long body and fearsome teeth – was caught by an angler in Lincolnshire.
Dubbed the "gangster" of the fish world, it eats everything it comes across and has even been reported to kill people.
The monster, which is from south-east Asia, can also "crawl" on land and survive out of water for up to four days.
It already has a fearsome predatory reputation in other parts of the world.
In the U.S., the fish has been described as a "FrankenFish" and "like something out of a horror film".
Andy Alder, from Lincoln, caught a 2ft snakehead while using a sprat as bait for pike on the River Witham near North Hykeham.
He said: "It had a gob full of razor-sharp teeth. To be honest it looked terrifying."
Anglers and conservationists are panic-stricken after its discovery in Britain.
An Environment Agency source said: “The reaction was, 'Oh s***'. This is the ultimate invasive species — if it starts breeding here it's a disaster."
Ben Weir, of the fishing magazine Angler's Mail, said: "In all my time of working within fishing I have never heard so many concerned voices.
"These guys are the real deal and have attacked humans whilst protecting their young.
I don't believe I have ever heard of a fish protecting its young. That sounds more than a little sensationalist. Here's the Wikipedia entry on snakeheads. They are actually considered a valuable food species in many areas. That is not to say that it is a good thing they have been found where they shouldn't be. Importing exotic "pets" should be frowned on, especially when they are potentially dangerous to native species, as the snakehead is.
Releasing non-native fish is a form of terrorism. It impacts many people. Hopefully someone remembers someone who had these fish in an aquarium and turns them in.Ordinary sunfish protect the area they lay their eggs until they hatch and then some. You can watch them in the spring running off much bigger fish.
Yup,This is not a first. Other fish species are known to protect their young. Be afraid!
Some fish protect their young until they are bigger. Then they have no parental instincts and will eat them if food is scarce.
I keep tropical fish, and parental behavior is pretty common, especially among the cichlid species. At least one species of African cichlid I know of develops multi-generational parental instincts, with the young of one hatching helping to protect the next. It’s amusing to watch "Mom and Dad" get frustrated trying to keep all their young in one place; it makes one realize that some things are universal.
I regulary fish the Witham as i live on Hykeham Road