Burnaby’s infamous snakehead fish will be studied by researchers at SFU.
The predatory fish was caught in a pond in Burnaby’s Central Park last week.
Ministry of Environment crews had to drain most of the water out of the pond in order to catch it.
Researchers don’t exactly know how the fish ended up in the pond or what species it belongs to. But, they will be examining carcass and tissue samples to determine how long it was in the lagoon and what it had been eating.
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“I think what most people fear is the idea of an invasion of the fish of this species. And that is not something that we can determine from this fish alone,” said SFU biology grad student Michael Beakes, who will be involved in the research.
“It is a highly predatory, highly prolific species, and its potential to adapt and proliferate in non-native environments is a major concern.”
At this point in time, they say there is no indication the fish was reproducing prior to being caught.
“Snake heads are probably not established in B.C. waters yet, but we should be diligent to make sure that they don’t become established,” said grad student Corey Phillis. “But in general, invasive species when they do become established can cause large ecological problems, and I think that the public is aware of that.”
It may take up to several weeks before researchers can finalize their findings.
After researchers are done with the fish, it will be sent to the Royal Museum of British Columbia, where it will be stored in a collection.
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