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  • 2019-10-11 (xsd:date)
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  • Can the Snakehead Fish Survive on Land? (en)
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  • On Oct. 10, 2019, many readers came across news stories about an invasive species of fish called the snakehead fish that had been discovered in Georgia. While these stories largely dealt with wildlife officials' attempts to eradicate the species, what caught the attention of most readers were brief mentions of this fish's unique ability to survive on land. CNN reported: The snakehead fish can truly survive on land. However, some readers may have been left with the impression that this species of fish can live on land for an indefinite period of time. There are approximately 21 species of snakehead fish. The northern snakehead (Channa argus) is a bimodal breathing fish thanks to a lung-like labyrinth organ near its gills. The snakehead can store atmospheric oxygen in this organ and then draw from this supply as it swims. This allows the snakehead to survive in low oxygen water. This fish can also use its unique bimodal breathing ability to move between bodies of waters. The Smithsonian writes: A research article published in Biology Open in 2018 elaborated on the air-breathing abilities of the snakehead: While a snakehead's ability to breath air may certainly come as a surprise to many, this is not the only species of fish with this ability. Andy Turko, the co-author of a 2015 study into one such species, the mangrove rivulus, spoke to National Geographic about these amphibious fish: This is not the first time that the snakehead has made national news. In 2002, there was a bit of a panic after snakeheads were found in a pond in Crofton, Maryland. The snakehead fish's ability to survive on land, its scary-sounding name, and the fact that it is considered an invasive species, led to a full-blown media circus about the discovery as the public imagined monster fish stalking the woods in search of prey. The incident even inspired a couple of horror movies, such as Frankenfish and Snakehead Terror: The snakehead can truly survive out of water for a few days. However, this fish does not have the ability to traverse long distances over land, nor is it an adept ground hunter. Whit Gibbons, professor emeritus of ecology at the University of Georgia, wrote in 2017: Here's a video of a snakehead in Thailand as it walks, crawls, or wiggles its way back to the water: (en)
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