The northern snakehead (Channa argus) is native to Russia, China and the Koreas, and is invasive in North America. A new DNA barcoding library could help conservationists track and catch this and other snakehead species. (Photo credit: Brian Gatwicke, via flickr)
A new set of DNA barcodes could help combat the notoriously invasive fish known as snakeheads. Snakeheads are native to Asia and are believed to have been introduced to North American rivers by private collectors dumping their unwanted pets.
Identification is difficult because the juveniles and adults can look very different, while fish from different snakehead species can look very similar.
Creating a library of barcodes from expert-identified specimens, the authors of a new study hope to provide a way to quickly identify snakeheads caught in the wild, helping conservationists track their spread and work toward their elimination.
Original research paper published in the journal PLOS ONE on June 10, 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
Natasha Serrano, University of Guelph, Ontario
Dirk Steinke, University of Guelph, Ontario
Robert Hanner, University of Guelph, Ontario
