Predatory Snakehead Fish on the Loose in Central Park: Cue the Jaws Music

Cue the Jaws music. There's a deadly predator on the loose within the waters of Central Park in New York City. It's not a shark, though. Instead, it's the invasive northern snakehead fish.

The northern snakehead fish is actually native to China, Russia and Korea.  It's a relatively long, thin fish with a single dorsal fin running along the length of its spine. Brown with dark blotches, it possesses sharp teeth that it uses to munch on other fish. Currently, the creatures are firmly established along the East Coast in Viriginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and Arkansas.

How did they get from China to the United States? These fish are actually prized for eating and are highly popular in the Asian food market. According to the USGS, most of the fish were probably intentionally released into lakes and ponds to encourage their spread and be fished later for food. Unfortunately, these creatures have continued to disrupt native ecosystems.

Now, officials are worried that the creature may have made it to the city. One was observed in Harlem Meer, the lake that lines the corner of Central Park along 110^th Street, only a few years ago. Because its feeding patterns overlap with other fish, the invasive species can be highly disruptive to local ecosystems. The sale and transport of live snakehead fish and its eggs are illegal in the United States.

The fish actually prefers to live in stagnant shallow ponds and slow-moving streams. In addition, the creature can survive out of the water for days under certain conditions; this makes it extremely hard to kill. Because of this, officials have placed signs around the Harlem Meer to warn anyone who catches one of these fish to not throw it back. Instead, people should secure the snakehead fish and, if park officials can't be found at the boathouse, should call 311 and report the catch.

Want to learn more about the fish? Check out the video here.