A Maryland man has officially broken the state record for catching the largest snakehead fish, nabbing it using a bow and arrow.
Todd Murphy of Marbury, Maryland, caught the fish in the Potomac River. It weighed in at 17.47 pounds and was almost 36 inches long, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said.
Murphy caught the fish by bowfishing, which is the most effective way to catch a snake fish, according to the DNR.
Now Official -record snakehead of 17.47 lbs. Thank you for removing the invasive fish! http://t.co/d6DSBYZOyH pic.twitter.com/E1H59fDsKQ
— MD DNR Fisheries (@MDDNRFISH) August 11, 2015Murphy previously sent in photos of snakehead fish to the DNR when he caught five in the Potomac River back in 2011. He is identified as a recreational angler.
Native to Asia, snakehead fish are a toothy, predatory, invasive fish that can live out of water.
They can "breed rapidly and prey on native fish. In abundance, they can upset the local ecological balance," the DNR said in a statement.
