Snakehead: A Fish out of Water

The story of the dreaded snakehead fish is a case study for invasive species. This is the story of an invasive species that went from obscurity to fame, becoming front-page news and the topic of David Letterman’s Top Ten list. Snakeheads, a species native to Asia, were released into a suburban pond in Maryland sometime around the year 2000. They reproduced, and a few years later a local angler caught and photographed one of the adults. Natural resources officials from the state and federal government responded with swat teams, and a media frenzy soon followed. Could the ferocious beast — capable of walking on land and breathing air — enter Chesapeake Bay and destroy native stocks? Much of the excitement was exaggeration, but the frenzy continued. Wildlife officers could not catch the beasts, even as local anglers captured more. The pond was sealed off, armies with toxins brought in, and over the course of months it looked like the beast was slain. But we learned that snakeheads are loose elsewhere in America, as are thousands of other introduced species. Was the snakehead story all hype, or was this the right response? Dolin tells the amazing story of the “snakehead summer” while delving into the larger questions about invasive species in America.

“Fascinating scientific reporting . . . well-written and entertaining case study of modern resource management.” ESPN Outdoors

“It’s the best book on non-native species since The Coming of the Pond Fishes . . . an absolute page turner!” ifish.net

“A wonderful, intriguing and fascinatingly complete documentation of a social and ecological phenomenon.” New Scientist

“Dolin doesn’t skimp on details . . . Or get bogged down in an overly scientific discussion of his subject . . . a lively book.” Baltimore Magazine