Pennsylvania anglers who reel in a northern snakehead, the invasive fish nicknamed the “Frankenfish,” are being told not to throw it back. State wildlife officials want the air-breathing predator removed from local waters, including spots right here in Bucks County, to protect native fish.
Key takeaways
- The northern snakehead is an invasive predator that has turned up in Bucks County’s Neshaminy Creek and across several Pennsylvania rivers.
- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says anglers should not release a caught snakehead back into the water.
- The fish can breathe air and survive out of water for extended periods, which helps it spread.
- There is no size or catch limit on northern snakeheads, and moving a live one is not permitted under state rules.
- Officials offer guidance on how to identify one and how to dispose of it.
Why the snakehead is a problem
The northern snakehead is native to China, Russia and eastern Asia, and it reached U.S. waterways through the live food trade and aquarium releases. Once established, it competes aggressively with native fish and eats a wide range of prey, including fish, frogs, crayfish, and even small mammals and birds. Young snakeheads consume the aquatic organisms that native species rely on, putting added pressure on local ecosystems.
What makes the fish especially hard to contain is its biology. The snakehead can breathe air and stay alive on land for a stretch of time, which lets it move between bodies of water and survive conditions that would kill most fish.
Where it has shown up in Pennsylvania
Snakeheads have been documented in the Delaware, Schuylkill and Susquehanna rivers and their connected waterways. Closer to home, one was caught in Bucks County’s Neshaminy Creek last summer, and another turned up in the Schuylkill River near Phoenixville in 2025.
Location Notes…