(Radio Iowa) - An official with the Iowa D-N-R warns the state's anglers to be on the lookout for a ferocious, toothy fish that spawned a horror movie in the early 2000s.
The northern snakehead is native to places like China, Russia, and the Koreas. D-N-R aquatic invasive species program coordinator Kim Bogenschuts says it's believed snakeheads reached the U-S as aquarium fish for collectors, though they're not friendly with other fish. Bogenschuts says they can grow to over three feet long, have big teeth and are very aggressive.
In addition to a vicious temperament, the northern snakehead is especially renown for being able to survive on land -- for days at a time. Iowans who think they've caught a snakehead should snap a photo of it and send the pic to the D-N-R. Bogenschuts says the fish should be killed and not be released.