Nature & Environment

Warning in New York over invasive fish that can survive out of water

By T.K. Randall
June 12, 2026

Image: Northern Snakehead
Credit: Billings Brett / (PD) US Fish and Wildlife Service Invasive species are a growing concern across the world, but the US in particular seems to have been plagued by all manner of invasive animals in recent years, causing concern over the impact these species might have on the native wildlife.

One example is the northern snakehead - a type of fish from Asia that has managed to establish itself, not only in the Mid-Atlantic and Eastern US, but also now in New York state as well.

This particular creature has no natural predators and is even able to survive out of water for days at a time (providing it doesn't dry out), enabling it to move from one body of water to another.So concerning is its impact on the local ecosystem that wildlife officials have taken to asking anglers not to return them to the wild if caught and to take steps to kill any that they happen to catch.

"They don't belong, they don't have a natural predator, they will screw up our native fish populations, they tend to eat pretty much anything they can put in their very large mouths," New York State regional fisheries manager Heidi O'Riordan told CBS News.

The fish, which resembles a snake, can lay thousands of eggs at once and these can hatch within days.

Exactly how many are already in the waterways of the Unites States remains unclear.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Fish