Do we have to be concerned about snakehead fish appearing in the James River, Rappahannock River, or other waters in Virginia?
It is important to remember that all snakehead species are freshwater fish. This means that they cannot tolerate the saltwater of the Chesapeake Bay or lower tidal sections of rivers like the Potomac, Rappahannock, James, or other rivers. Therefore, any snakehead fish in the Potomac River cannot move below approximately the Rt. 301 bridge because the water becomes too salty at that point. If snakehead fish are found in other river systems, it will be because they’ve been dumped there.
Yes. While snakeheads are freshwater fish, it has been determined that they can tolerate a fairly high level of salinity (this is especially true for juveniles with lower water temperatures). They may be able to colonize other drainages through extreme storm events riding freshets or by illegal introductions.
