Snakehead = Invasive
Bowfin = Native
The Charlotte Observer reports that an angler caught a 31 inch Snakehead on the Carolina's Lake Wylie. The angler released the fish because he mistook it for a Bowfin. The fish was later identified as a snakehead from photos by NC Wildlife officials. Once introduced into a fishery the Snakehead can devastate native fish populations.
"Most snakeheads caught in U.S. waters were released by aquarium owners or bought live at fish markets and released, the wildlife commission says. It's now illegal in North Carolina to possess, buy or sell the live fish. As they did in 2002, state biologists searched the Wylie catch area for more snakeheads but found none. But they're asking local fishermen to keep their eyes peeled.
UPDATE: Here is a link to the actual photo of the fish caught in Lake Wylie via Charlotte.Com
Photos: Courtesy NC Dept. of Wildlife Resources.
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