Snakehead caught in Burnaby pond not as much of a risk

Biologists across the country are breathing a collective sigh of relief after a months-long investigation into an invasive fish found in a Burnaby pond last winter.

Experts from both UBC and SFU say the half-meter long fish that was scooped out of the central park duck pond was a blotched snakehead and not the more aggressive northern snakehead species.

That fish can live on land for a short time and can quickly spread to nearby waterways.

But scientists say once it’s established, the fish can quickly wipe out populations of native species.