Acute Toxicity of 5% Rotenone to Northern Snakeheads

Abstract

The confirmation of northern snakeheads Channa argus caught by an angler in a private pond in Maryland resulted in significant media attention and generated numerous resources for risk identification and the development of action plans to prevent the introduction of this nonnative species into state waters. Rotenone was selected as an eradication option, and a bioassay was conducted with captured northern snakehead juveniles to determine toxicity and application dose. The lowest rotenone concentration evaluated, 0.075 mg of active ingredient per liter of water, resulted in 100% mortality within 1 h. Pond treatment was highly successful; 8 adult and 834 juvenile snakeheads were recovered. Study results show that northern snakeheads are susceptible to normal doses of rotenone and that standard pond treatment techniques are effective in eradicating this invasive species.