First Record Of Occurrence And Genetic Characterization Of A Population Of Northern Snakehead Channa Argus (Cantor, 1842) In Georgia, Usa

On October 4th , 2019, an angler caught and released a single northern snakehead (Channa argus) in a private pond in Gwinnett County, Georgia, USA. Pictures of the specimen were reported to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Fisheries Management Section (DNR), and subsequent investigations by the DNR including electrofishing and rotenone surveys resulted in the capture and removal of 34 individuals from the area. Genetic analyses of fin clips from 33 specimens indicated the population consisted of a combination of juveniles from a breeding pair of captured adults and other unsampled adults. This discovery constitutes the first record of this non-native species in Georgia, and the results demonstrate how genetic analyses can facilitate effective understanding of invasion dynamics during rapid response operations.