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Officials warn about northern snakehead fish in Harlem Meer

Officials are asking visitors — especially anglers — to watch out for the northern snakehead fish in the Harlem Meer. The aggressive fish can destroy the ecosystem.

A local fisherman named Miro Zic said he caught a 6-pound northern snakehead in the Harlem Meer last October. The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation said that catch wasn’t confirmed, but a snakehead was found in the meer in 2008.

The DEC is asking fishermen who catch one give the department a call immediately and to not release the fish back into the water. In fact, anglers are asked to kill the fish, freeze it, and then report the catch.

The DEC conducted a routine survey of the Harlem Meer Tuesday night after dark, although officials said they’re not specifically looking for the snakehead fish.

The fish is native to China, Russiam and Korea. It can breath air and survive on land in moist conditions for several days if it needs to.

Read more at MyFoxNY.

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