Frakenfish Caught in Virgina Sets 2 World Records for Snakehead Fish
A man from Virginia set two world records when he caught a fish being dubbed, "Frakenfish."
The 3 foot, 17 pound, 6 ounce Northern Snakehead fish was caught in a creek by Caleb Newton in a fishing tournament on June 1.
Newton said the fish only took him a minute to catch, but he had a hard time pulling it in.
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"My friend scooped it in with the net on the first try," he said to The Washington Post. "We were lucky."
The fish is the largest of its kind caught by two ounces, beating out a Snakehead caught in Japan from 2004, according to The Free Lance-Star.
"His record has been approved and we'll be sending the certificate later this week, or early next week," said Jack Vitek, world-record coordinator for the Florida-based IGFA, to Inquisitr.
He also set a record for largest Snakehead catch using a 20-pound fishing line.
The species is called Frankenfish because of its large size, appearance, and its ability to adapt, as it could survive in shallow mud and breathe in air for up to four days.
It also has no natural enemies and reproduces quite rapidly."Each spawning-age female can release up to 15,000 eggs at once," the National Geographic Channel said. "Snakeheads can mate as often as five times a year. This means in just two years, a single female can release up to 150,000 eggs."
The fish first appeared in a U.S. pond in 2002, but is originally from Asia. Initially attempts were made to wipe the fish out but it adapted to its new habitat.
