There is a sign which may have caught your eye in Central Park and warns of a snakeshead fish: “If you catch this fish, do not release it. Contact the authorities immediately. It does not belong and could radically alter the local fish population.” Wow, fish at large, and not just any fish but a snakeshead which is commonly regarded as the Fishzilla of the water. Much like Jaws, this fish has the ability to survive where other fish perish.
We here at Ask a New Yorker are not belittling the investigation. I suppose it is just that fish at large stories don’t happen everyday, and when they do, should we worry? Well this fish seems a little terrifying, and not one that you want to bump into. The snakeshead is a relentless and efficient predator that devours just about everything in its path — fish, frogs, crayfish, beetles and aquatic insects. And it does not meet death easily. It is able to survive under ice or live on land for days in damp conditions.
“I would describe them as the freshwater fish equivalent of a tank,” Ron P. Swegman, told the Times, Swegman is a fly-fishing expert and author whose writings about fishing in Central Park include an essay, “Bright Fish, Big City.”
“They are heavily armed,” he said, “strong, and can cover almost any territory, aquatic and — at least for short periods — on land.” Hold on did he say something about on land?
The appearance of this fish sounds equally troubling. It’s body can grow three-feet long, and it has a jaw that stretches back well beyond its eyes. It is also a voracious eater. So be on the look out New York, and if you see this voracious eater at a restaurant tell the staff to serve them quickly. Maybe a fish dish would be in order!
