9 replies to this topic

[don212]

took my trailer to a park in st augustine fl. dipnetted a few topminnows in small pond there, but observed a fisherman who caught a small, about 10 inch snake head , first time i've seen one, though i guess there pretty prevalent in fl. 

[mneilson]

Sure it wasn't a bowfin? Do you have a picture, or can you email me with a description of the location (my username at usgs dot gov)? We (the USGS NAS database) have no records of any snakehead species from there, and we'd be interested in folloowing up on this as it would represent an very new introduction/range expansion.

[don212]

no,didn't have a camera at time, color made me disregard bowfin, it was brightly colored,green, it was dead in the grass, fisherman said it was a snakehead, large retention pond behind st. john's rv park, 2493 st rd 207 saint augustine off exit311 i95. at the time i thought they were all over fl. though after googling i know better.

[mattknepley]

Bowfin can get pretty green, though I couldn't say it was or wasn't a snakehead as I have no experience with them. Maybe this pic from the gallery archive can help...

[Isaac Szabo]

Bowfin can have bright green spawning colors:

 

 

This is not my photo. It's from http://www.fishingbu...tos/uber_bowfin

 

Edit: Matt beat me to it. It looks like we were replying at the same time.

[mattknepley]

Isaac, when it comes to photography, this is the ONLY way I'll ever beat you at anything!

[don212]

yeah, i didn't look closely enough to be sure now, color is right , would a small one color up?

[butch]

Yes a small bowfin can get colored up. Caught a 12" male bowfin last week.

[don212]

hopefully thats what i saw

[gerald]

An awful lot of bowfins throughout their range suddenly became "snakeheads" in the fishing community after the much-publicized Chesapeake invasion.