Immediately Kill This Air-Breathing Fish Found in Hudson Valley

A horrifying invasive fish that can live on land for days is raising concerns after another one was discovered in open waters.

Imagine a fish with sharp teeth that's found a way to survive out of water. It eats snakes, mice and small birds and reproduces rapidly. No, this isn't some sort of bad horror film. It's a real fish that has been found in the Hudson Valley and has environmental officials very concerned.

The Invasive Northern Snakehead was first discovered in Orange County in 2008. The terrifying fish was identified in Ridgebury Lake in the town of Waywayanda. The fish is of such concern that the pesticide rotenone was applied to the lake to eradicate the species. But because the Snakehead can travel on land for days, it can escape targeted efforts to kill it by finding new waterways.

The fish found near Atlanta, Georgia this month and officials there are so concerned that they have instructed residents to kill it on sight.

Anyone who catches a Northern Snakehead is urged to immediately kill it and report the finding to Wildlife officials. That's the same advice given by the New York State DEC. If you happen to find this fish in Hudson Valley waters, the DEC says to "kill it immediately," remembering that it can live on land. The fish is then to be frozen.

Most recently Invasive Northern Snakeheads have been found in Queens County, just south of the Hudson Valley. For more details on identifying this strange fish and instructions on what to do if you encounter one, visit the DEC's informational page on their website

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