The Deduru Oya reservoir in northwestern Sri Lanka has long been a favorite fishing spot for angler Ishanka Dissanayaka. In mid-June, he returned to the reservoir for a relaxing day by the water. But this time, the fish that snagged his bait was so heavy that he had to wade to the edge of the water and, with the help of colleagues, hauled it out using a hand net. The fish measured nearly a meter (3 feet) in length and weighed 8 kilograms (17. 6 pounds), one of his heaviest catches to date. What made it even more remarkable was when it turned out to be giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes), one of the world’s most feared invasive freshwater fish, now clearly established in Sri Lanka.

While Dissanayaka saw the catch as a personal triumph, others in the community viewed this discovery with alarm.

To read the full story visit https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/predatory-snakehead-fish-poses-invasive-threat-after-sighting-in-sri-lanka-reservoir/

Photo credit: NARA