Invasive snakeheads sighted in Missouri, is Kansas next?

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The resurfacing of an invasive species in waters near Kansas might mean a new threat could be entering the Sunflower State.

Wildlife officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently spotted an aggressive predatory invasive species in Missouri waters known as the northern snakehead. This fish, originally from Asia, is dangerous as it can prey on native aquatic species and compete with them for resources. Other qualities making them dangerous to local wildlife include their wide temperature tolerance, ability to spawn multiple times a year and ability to breathe air.

KSNT 27 News spoke with Fisheries Director Bryan Sowards with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) about the potential dangers of this “kill on sight” fish. While the discovery of another snakehead in Missouri, following the first that was spotted in 2019, did cause concern for Missouri wildlife officials, Sowards said it’s not as big of a deal for Kansas.

“We’re not as concerned as much about snakeheads, so much as we are the invasive carp that we have,” Sowards said. “From an aquatic or fish standpoint, snakeheads are not a big concern. It’s not as big of a concern, but of course we’re taking it seriously.”

Compared to snakeheads, invasive species of carp are prevalent in several Kansas waterbodies and the Kansas River where they cause disruptions in the natural ecosystem by consuming large quantities of food in the water. Their presence has caused a recent crackdown by KDWP biologists who hope to take their numbers down a peg in the waters they infest.

Sowards said snakeheads tend to do better in waters in the southeast part of the country and likely will not take hold in Kansas as they have in other states. He said if snakeheads appear in Kansas, they would likely find better living conditions in the southeast part of the state while the west would not be impacted by their presence much.

Snakehead populations in the U.S. are currently being monitored by two federal agencies: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Snakeheads were introduced to the U.S. as, prior to 2002, they were sold in pet stores and in live food fish markets in several big cities within the U.S., according to the USGS. Snakeheads may have been released by aquarium hobbyists or through “prayer animal release” which is a faith-based ritual where individuals release an animal to earn merits with a deity.