POTOMAC - SNAKEHEADS

[GALAZIO]

YOU GUYS WATCHING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL? SPECIAL ABOUT "SNAKEHEADS" IN AND AROUND THE POTOMAC RIVER. IT'S ON NOW.

THAT IS ONE NASTY LOOKIN' CRITTER

[clt_capt]

YOU GUYS WATCHING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL? SPECIAL ABOUT "SNAKEHEADS" IN AND AROUND THE POTOMAC RIVER. IT'S ON NOW.

THAT IS ONE NASTY LOOKIN' CRITTER

Last time I checked there were 538 on capitol hill and 2 on pennsylvania ave...

[shoefish]

Last time I checked there were 538 on capitol hill and 2 on pennsylvania ave...

now that is frigging hilarious!

[Big Jay]

Dude, those things are no joke. They are mean SOB's and they have a set of chompers. They were big in the aquarium trade for a while until people started releasing them after they made meals out of the other fish in the tank. Very similar to a musky. They will attack you.

They are worse then piranha's in fact.

[Kahi]

I watched that special, and they found the guy that claims he released the first one into the water. He bought a Snakehead to make a soup as a Chinesse Medicine to heal his ick sister, but his sister got better before he made the soup so he let the Snakeheads go in the Patomic in the 80's. Crazy how quickly they spread. (The snakeheads, not the Chinese)

[rocksandblues]

I had two in a big aquarium as a kid. voracious! ate more than my 6 piranha. quick too. I would stick my finger in the tank to show people how quick and mean they were and they sliced me several times. GAVE them back to my gray market fish selling friend when my feeder goldfish bill exceeded my beer budget.

[Patudo]

I have some fond memories chasing these things in the Singapore reservoirs as a kid. They most resemble a tropical pike, big mouth, sharp teeth predator etc... but have the pretty amazing ability to supplement their oxygen intake via air breathing in a similar way to a tarpon. Strong fighters with a ferocious surface strike. If they are no convenient snags to tie you up they can jump long and high with a powerful shake of the head that flings minnow lures right back at you. Good eating fish that goes real well in fish soup, fish porridge etc. They are a cool fish... in their own environment.

Attached photo of a big one from Thailand. This one is a Giant Snakehead, the largest and most powerful of the family (not the species reported in the Potomac).

[JOE_DIRT]

Attached photo of a big one from Thailand. This one is a Giant Snakehead, the largest and most powerful of the family (not the species reported in the Potomac).

Hope that thing's dead! Just can't see myself smiling if I'm holding something alive that can bite my hand off.

[carom]

nasty critters!

[GALAZIO]

According to the special on TV, the "Giant" version of these critters are indeed in the Potomac! Watch the special on National Geographic.