Photo: Mass Wildlife
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — An invasive fish sometimes spotted around New England has some folks confused about its true definition.
The term ‘Franken-fish’ was commonly used back in the 90s to describe trout that were genetically altered to grow faster, which would lead to some strange and deformed appearances.
More recently, however, people have begun to confuse ‘franken-fish’ with the invasive Northern Snakehead.
Originating from Asia, the Northern Snakehead has been confused with the mutated trout for their strange appearance and ability to breathe on land.
“When the fish first became established, it was doom and gloom. These fish are known to wiggle across land, they’re obligate air breathers,” said Mass Wildlife Aquatic Biologist Jason Skolarski. “They don’t necessarily need to take oxygen out of the water, they can take it out of the atmosphere.”
Skolarski said much of the confusion came from Hollywood, after a horror movie based on the Northern Snakehead, titled ‘Frankenfish’ released in theatres back in 2004.
“I’ve seen the movies, they’re not that great. As a fish biologist though, you’ve really got to eat this stuff up,” said Skolarski. “There aren’t too many aspects of my job that creep into popular culture.”
Although not common, Northern Snakeheads have been spotted within Massachusetts a few times, which included one that was caught in Greater Boston waters a few years ago.
“In Reservoir Pond in Canton, there was a large adult individual caught in 2021 by an angler,” said Skolarski.
Mass Wildlife warned residents to keep an eye out for Northern Snakeheads and report them to the State if spotted.
They also warned fish-lovers to never release a pet fish into the wild, as it could lead to negative ecological impacts.
More information can be found on the Mass Wildlife website here.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.