Invasive 'Walking' Fish Not Wreaking Havoc Yet, Scientists Say

The infamous snakehead, once dubbed the Frankenfish, is in the U.S. to stay, experts say. Fortunately, the Asian import seems to be coexisting peacefully with native species—for now.

The Potomac River, which runs through West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., on its way to the Atlantic, has seen a thriving population of snakeheads arise after several of the fish were released into Virginia's Dogue Creek in Fairfax County.

But so far the snakeheads appear to have had little discernable impact on the native ecosystem, to the relief of scientists and anglers alike.

We have not seen any adverse effects, said fisheries biologist Steve Owens, with Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in Fredericksburg.

But surveys also show that northern snakehead populations are booming in the Potomac.