Officials with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) are warning anglers not to release the rare invasive species into the water if they happen to catch the fish.
Northern snakeheads are native to Asia and can grow up to 3 feet long, according to SCDNR.
Sightings of predatory fish have also been reported in Georgia, Missouri, California, Hawaii, Maryland and Virginia.
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Officials note that it is a top-level predator, and “its introduction poses a major threat to native fish populations.”
Ross Self, freshwater fisheries division chief with the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), said in an email statement to Fox News Digital, “No documented sightings of northern snakehead fish in South Carolina have been reported since some have been found in small numbers in private ponds. in Georgia and North Carolina in 2019.”
“The only documented snakehead ever seen in South Carolina was one that was voluntarily turned over to the SCDNR 15 years ago by a guy in Lake City, who kept it in an aquarium,” Self said.
He said the warning issued by the SCDNR in 2019 remains the same: “If fishermen catch one, destroy it.”
SCDNR advises anglers who catch the fish, “save the fish, (then) freeze or put it on ice and contact the SC Department of Natural Resources.”
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When taking pictures of the snakehead, include “closeups of the mouth, fins and tail, and note where it was caught (waterbody, landmark or GPS coordinates),” the agency also advises.
Snakehead fish can breathe out of water and can move short distances on land, experts say.
“It is believed that northern snakehead fish entered the United States when aquarium owners dumped the unwanted exotic captive species into local waterways,” the New York Invasive Species Information (IS) reported online.
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“Snakehead fish breeding occurs during the summer (June to August),” the IS website says.
He said there is no complete understanding of the reproductive cycle of snakehead fish.
The snakehead fish species was added to the endangered species list under the Lacey Act in 2002.
The Lacey Act prohibits the transport, possession or importation of certain fish, according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
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In South Carolina, it is illegal to possess, transport or sell live snakes.
Self said that South Carolina’s native fish, bowfin, look similar to snakeheads, and anglers have sent SCDNR photos of bowfin from anglers who thought they might have caught a snakehead.
He said he asks anglers not to mistreat native bowfins simply because they resemble snakeheads.
In May, for only the fourth time in the state of Missouri, an angler caught a northern snakehead, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reported.
The MDC advises anglers not to release fish or throw them overboard.
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However, anglers must photograph the fish so officials can positively identify the species and note the location of the catch.
Fox News Digital’s Sydney Borchers contributed reporting.