Snakehead fish, clawed frogs - illegally sold Richmond, VA (US) Incident Date: Friday, Jan 31, 2003 County: Richmond City Local Map: available Disposition: State Citation Case Images: 1 files available Person of Interest: Christopher Backus

Case ID: 6602 Classification: Unlawful Trade/Smuggling Animal: captive exotic, marine animal (wild) View more cases in VA (US) Login to Watch this Case

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) has charged a Richmond pet shop manager with violating a regulation prohibiting the possession and sale of exotic, non-native species without a permit. If convicted, Christopher Backus, fish department manager of The Pet Club on Parham Road could face up to $1,000 in fines for possessing and attempting to sell a snakehead fish.

A VDGIF biologist, on receiving a tip from a member of the public about the illegal fish, turned the information over to the Department�s game wardens for investigation. The fish had evidently been purchased at the same store prior to a regulation revision that added snakehead fish to the list of predatory and undesirable species became effective on January 1, 2003. The owner turned the fish back in to the pet store claiming it had grown too big for his fish tank. The pet store then put the fish up for sale again.

The fish was initially identified by a VDGIF biologist and confirmed by Dr. Walter R. Courtenay, with the U.S. Geological Survey�s Center for Aquatic Resource Studies and the country�s leading expert on snakeheads. He verified that the animal was a cobra snakehead (Channa marulius). Dr. Courtenay worked with Maryland and North Carolina last summer in their efforts to identify and to eradicate snakehead fish in those states. The fish was seized by game wardens.

Native to Asia and Africa, snakehead fish have no natural predators in the United States and pose significant threats to native wildlife communities in this country. The animals are capable of moving short distances on land and can withstand extreme weather conditions. They are sold in the pet trade worldwide and favored as a food fish in many cultures.

Game wardens also charged Backus with possession and attempting to sell another illegal exotic animal species, the clawed frog (Xenopus spp.). Wardens seized 10 albino clawed frogs. Backus is expected to appear in court on March 27, 2003. Game wardens are currently investigating several cases of possession of illegal exotic species.

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References

Virginia Dept of Game and Fish - February 27, 2003

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