snakehead

snake·head

S0505400 (snāk′hĕd′)n.1. Any of various edible freshwater predatory fishes of the family Channidae, having an elongated body with long dorsal and anal fins and large scales on the head, native to Asia and Africa and established elsewhere.2. See turtlehead.3. Slang A person who smuggles undocumented Chinese immigrants into the United States and other countries.

snakehead

(ˈsneɪkˌhed) n (Law) a Chinese criminal involved in the illegal transport of Chinese citizens to other parts of the world[C20: origin uncertain]

snake•head

(ˈsneɪkˌhɛd)

n. a turtlehead plant. [1775–85, Amer.]

Thesaurus

Noun

snakehead - showy perennial of marshlands of eastern and central North America having waxy lanceolate leaves and flower with lower part creamy white and upper parts pale pink to deep purpleChelone glabra, shellflower, shell-flower, snake-head, turtleheadChelone, genus Chelone - herbaceous perennials: shellflowerbog plant, marsh plant, swamp plant - a semiaquatic plant that grows in soft wet land; most are monocots: sedge, sphagnum, grasses, cattails, etc; possibly heath

snakehead

snakehead,

common name for members of the family Channidae, hardy freshwater fish native to S and E Asia and tropical Africa, where they are a popular food fish. Snakeheads are elongated fishes with long dorsal and anal fins, small heads, large mouths, sharp teeth, and slimy skin. They use primitive lungs as well as gills to breathe, and some are able to migrate over land. Voracious predatory fish, they feed mostly on other fish. A number of the species are raised in aquaculture in their native ranges. The northern snakehead (Channa argus) and the giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes), both of which may exceed 40 in. (1 m) in length, have been found as introduced species in the United States since 2002, where they have no natural enemies and are considered invasive.

Snakehead

(Ophicephalus argus), a freshwater fish of the order Ophiocephaloidea. The body is elongated (up to 85 cm long) and weighs up to 7 kg. The dorsal and anal fins are long. The head is flattened and covered with scales and looks like the head of a snake (hence the name); the mouth opening is large.

The snakehead has an epibranchial organ for breathing air; the fish can live in polluted waters and even out of water (for several days). It is found in the Amur basin and Lake Khanka, and also in China and Korea. It lives alone or in small groups, feeding on small fish and bottom organisms. Spawning takes place in June and July in several sessions. The average egg capacity is 7,300. The eggs are pelagic. The snakehead builds a large nest (up to 1 m in diameter) out of stalks and leaves at the surface of the water. The larvae stay near the nest; the fish reach sexual maturity in the third year. Snakeheads have some commercial importance. In some places they are raised by stocking ponds with larvae. Snake-heads have been acclimatized in Middle Asia.

REFERENCES

Berg, L. S. Ryby presnykh vod SSSR i sopredel’nykh stran, 4th ed., part 3. Moscow-Leningrad, 1949.
Pmmyslovve ryby SSSR. Moscow, 1949.

G. I. LINDBERG

snakehead

Related to snakehead: northern snakehead

noun

Synonyms for snakehead

noun showy perennial of marshlands of eastern and central North America having waxy lanceolate leaves and flower with lower part creamy white and upper parts pale pink to deep purple

Synonyms

Chelone glabra
shellflower
shell-flower
snake-head
turtlehead

Related Words

Chelone
genus Chelone
bog plant
marsh plant
swamp plant