Bad news, America. The frankenfish is back. Actually, these normally water-bound beasts are surely known by a number of names in China, Russia, and Korea, where they're native. In America, we call them the northern snakehead fish. The highly invasive, fang-toothed creatures can grow to be the size of a human being by feeding on frogs and crayfish. They're also seemingly impossible to kill since they can live out of the water for several days in the right conditions. The northern snakehead fish is absolutely terrifying, and it's back.Or at least that's what Central Park authorities want you to think. A number of signs popped up all over the park in recent days, imploring fishermen not to throw a northern snakehead back if caught. The sign tells the fishemen to "secure the fish" and "keep it in a secure container until it is picked up by officials."The Department of Environmental Conservation comes off as a little more imperative. "If you catch one, DO NOT RELEASE it," reads the department website. "Kill it immediately, freeze it and report your catch."Officials are heading up to Central Park later this week to hunt for evidence of a northern-snakehead invasion. Whether they've found the fish and kept the news quiet or are simply preparing for the worst, it's unclear if that invasion's already started. But if it has, the return of the northern snakehead could be devastating for the local ecosystem.Read the rest over at the new Motherboard.VICE.com.
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