Nearly a month after the rare snakehead fish was found in Poplar Tree Lake, local wildlife officials are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the giant snakehead does not get in the Mississippi River system and destroy the local eco-systems.
Deputy sheriff William Nelson found the aggressive and foreign species of fish in Poplar Tree Lake.
The giant snakehead, known as Channa micropeltes, is dangerous for three reasons, according to a fact sheet published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"One, these fish are very predatory and could alter the balance of our ecosystems. Two, these fish are air breathers and are capable of over-land migration. Three, these fish are very aggressive in their efforts to protect their young. When these factors are combined, snakeheads pose a significant threat to native fish and wildlife resources," according to the USFWS fact sheet.
It seems that Memphis is a bit luckier than other areas of the United States that have had problems with snakeheads.
"It's always a concern," said Jack Grubaugh, associate professor of biology at the University of Memphis and director of the Meeman biological field station near Shelby Forest. "If it is just one fish and it went belly up, it's not a problem."
Grubaugh confirmed the identity of the fish.
The giant snakehead found in the area "died of stupidity," according to Grubaugh.
The fish wasn't a full-grown adult, and it appeared to have starved to death.
Maryland, Rhode Island, California, Maine, Florida and Minnesota have all had snakehead problems in the past few years, but only the populations in Florida and Maryland were reproducing populations.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency is currently taking steps to determine whether or not the fish was the only one of its kind in the lake.
"First, the most important thing to do would be to eliminate (the snakeheads) if any more are found," said Bill Reeves, director of fisheries at the TWRA.
The only way to eliminate the fish would be through poisoning or draining the lake, according to Reeves.
Electro-shocking the lake is one of the best and most humane ways to determine if there are more snakeheads in the water, Grubaugh said. The electricity stuns the fish and they float to the top.
Unfortunately, the best time for electro-shocking is when the water temperature is about 70 degrees, according to Reeves.
"Our greatest effort will be in late April or early May, but we will be out there in the next few weeks (monitoring the lake)," Reeves said.
The giant snakehead and the rest of the Channa family are native to Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
"It's interesting that they found something like that here, but the fact that it's not supposed to be here is scary," said Whitney Howerton, a junior biology major. "I wouldn't let it (a snakehead) out like that. Give it to the zoo."
The snakehead found in Poplar Tree Lake was most likely a pet because it didn't seem to have the ability to survive in the wild, according to Grubaugh.
"If people find any more fish like it, they need to call the TWRA," Grubaugh said.
The TWRA number is 1-800-372-3928.
