This fish is ugly, can breathe air and if you see it in SC, kill it immediately. Here’s why

There’s one invasive species plaguing other states that so far South Carolina has not seen.

But if you do, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources says kill it immediately.

It’s the northern snakehead, which has invaded such disparate locations as the Potomac River and Florida. They’ve also gotten a foothold in Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Arkansas and been found in ponds in North Carolina and Georgia.

Ross Self, chief of freshwater fisheries for DNR, said one snakehead was surrendered many years ago and so far is the only one known to be in the state.

It came from an aquarium near Lake City, he said.

“There were reports of snakehead sightings in the North Carolina portion of Lake Wyle,” he said. “We saw photographs but did not see an actual fish despite concentrated sampling efforts.”

The reason for all the attention is that snakeheads are top-level predator fish. Biologists call them hypercarnivorous — they actively prey on other fish or aquatic animals.

Sharks are like that as are barracuda, pike/muskellunge, walleye, perch and salmon

Here’s the difference: snakeheads pose a substantial threat to native fish.

Also, they breathe air. They can in fact live for days on land. They can flop their bodies across mud. Low oxygenated water is not a problem for them. Lakes, streams, canals, even drainage ditches are where they live.

Native to Asia, where people eat them, snakeheads are long and thin fish — they can grow to 3 feet — and look similar to the bowfin, a native fish.

The reports that have come into DNR have turned out to be bowfin, Self said.

DNR has a comparison of the two fish on its website.

Arkansas fisheries experts said their problem with snakeheads began 20 years ago when a farmer was breeding them to eat. After the U.S. banned them in 2002, the farmer drained his pond in an attempt to kill them. Bad idea. They just flopped over to a nearby river.

DNR thinks the species came to the U.S. through Asian fish markets.

If you think you’ve hooked one, DNR asks that you take a photo, kill it (remembering it can breathe air), put the fish on ice, note your location and call them at 1-800-922-5431.

This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "This fish is ugly, can breathe air and if you see it in SC, kill it immediately. Here’s why."