Wildlife officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation recently spotted an aggressive predatory invasive species in Missouri waters known as the northern snakehead. This fish, originally from Asia, is dangerous as it can prey on native aquatic species and compete with them for resources. Other qualities making them dangerous to local wildlife include their wide temperature tolerance, ability to spawn multiple times a year and ability to breathe air and walk around outside the water. Missouri fisheries have issued a “kill on sight” order for the fish.
What about in Kansas? Kansas wildlife officials say they are not as concerned about snakeheads as they are invasive carp, who also cause disruptions in the natural ecosystem by consuming large quantities of food in the water. They say that if snakeheads appear in Kansas, they would likely find better living conditions in the southeast part of the state while the west would not be impacted by their presence much. Snakeheads were introduced to the U. S. prior to 2002 and they were sold in pet stores and in live food fish markets in several big cities within the U. S..
