Invasive giant snakehead fish eats own kind at Sun Moon Lake
Invasive giant snakehead fish eats own kind at Sun Moon Lake
2026-08-12
The hot summer months are breeding season for giant snakeheads, an invasive fish in Sun Moon Lake. One fisherman was surprised to discover that larger giant snakeheads were attacking and eating smaller ones. But like the proverbial snake trying to swallow an elephant, the larger fish were unable to eat the smaller ones whole and ended up choking to death.
This school of fish moving beneath the water’s surface are giant snakehead fry. When a fisher scooped up an entire group, he was stunned to discover that some of the larger ones had eaten the smaller ones.
- Lots of the big ones ate the smaller ones. But look, they choked to death.
Mr. Lee
Fisherman
I caught a school of fry and put them in a bucket, then about an hour later I discovered something strange. The bigger fish, ones about 15 centimeters long, had eaten smaller ones that were 6 or 7 centimeters. But they couldn’t spit it out or swallow it, so they choked to death.
The fish are still juveniles themselves at only 15 centimeters, but they still attack and eat the smaller fry, even though it’s deadly to them.
Mr. Lee
Fisherman
Species like the giant snakehead are so aggressive that they don’t even spare their own kind. If they’re left to grow up in Sun Moon Lake, the harm they’ll cause our native fish is unimaginable.
Giant snakeheads have even attacked groupers, which weigh several kilograms, leaving behind only the fish’s head. Pearl grouper, giant snakeheads, and red devil cichlids are three invasive species considered major threats to Sun Moon Lake’s ecosystem.
- This was such a big pearl grouper.
- It wasn’t released, it’s wild.
- It’s wild, from Sun Moon Lake.
The giant snakehead is a highly aggressive, invasive species that poses a serious threat to the ecosystem. During their breeding season, fishers try to remove the fry using electric fishing equipment to help protect Sun Moon Lake.
#SunMoonLake #giantsnakehead #fish #invasivespecies #ecosystem #conservation #threat
For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53
日月潭惡霸狠到相殘 魚虎球硬吞同類"活活噎死"
2026-08-12
炎炎夏日，也正是日月潭裡外來魚種，魚虎繁殖季，有漁民撈魚虎球後發現，體型較大，約15公分長的魚虎，會攻擊吞食體型更小的魚虎，但就像"蛇吞象"一樣，根本無法完整吞食，大吃小，還反倒活活被噎死
日月潭裡整團移動的，就是傳說中的魚虎球，漁民整團撈起，卻發現驚人景象，魚虎直接吃魚虎。
-裡面有好幾隻都是大吃小，然後吃到你看，噎死了。
[[日月潭漁民 李先生]]
“魚球撈起來放在桶子裡面，大概過了一個小時之後去看，發現一個很奇妙的現象，就是大隻的魚虎，大約15公分長左右，牠會吞食大概6至7公分的小魚，吃下去之後牠吐也吐不出來，吃也吃不下去，導致牠就噎死了。”
體型才大約15公分長的小魚虎，竟然攻擊吞食體型更小的魚虎，根本不考慮吞不吞得下，就這樣卡在嘴裡不上不下，活活噎死。
[[日月潭漁民 李先生]]
“像魚虎這種物種，牠的攻擊欲望這麼強，連同類都不放過，如果放任牠們，在日月潭長大的話，對我們本土魚種的破壞力，真的是不敢想像。”
魚虎，兇猛程度，連幾斤重的珍珠石斑，跟魚虎與紅魔鬼同列日月潭三害的外來種，都一下子就被活活追啃掉一半魚身！
-這麼大隻的珍珠石斑
-這也不是放養的 這是野生的
-這野生的啊 日月潭的
漁民指出，俗稱魚虎的小盾鱧，非常兇悍，對生態衝擊大，才剛繁殖出的小魚虎，都兇猛到不分同種同類照樣吞食，漁民盡量在魚虎繁殖季節，電撈移除這些魚虎球，保護日月潭生態。
更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00
Related News
