posted on: , 2012
Type:
Region:
Location:
I saw Gene Mueller�s fishing report about a snakehead caught by the owner of Buzz�s Marina in Ridge, MD fishing out of a kayak in St Jerome�s Creek, the water there should be "Real Salty''. I hope snakehead don�t start adapting to salt water. I�m worried that 10-15 years from now that these fish will. Will they start to breed in salt water? What do you all think of this?
DNR Response: Both adult and juvenile northern snakeheads are capable of tolerating moderate levels of salinity. However, reproduction in salty habitats hasn�t been reported. The snakehead could be just passing through and moving upstream into some fresher areas of St Jerome�s or other streams. The USFWS biologists have reported that snakehead move upstream during spring into fresher and shallower waters. We�re beginning work on learning how far upstream the fish actually moves. Right now, most of our work with snakeheads involves tidal areas. We know that snakeheads and largemouth bass are competing for the same types of food. We haven�t noted any negative impacts on largemouth bass just yet, but it�s still early in the invasion. We�re very supportive of efforts anglers take at removing these fish from the water when they�re encountered.