Can an Alias Save the Bay?

From Snakeheads?

The Charles County commissioners want to change the name of the northern snakehead.

The Charles County commissioners want to change the name of the northern snakehead.
Citizens were asked to come up with an alternate name for the toothy, elongated fish — an invader from Asia that sparked a panic when it first came to local shores — in a voting contest.

The voting produced more than 400 entries and yielded three finalists: Chesapeake Bay channa fish, Asian river fish and spotted channa. Channa is a nod to the Latin name of the fish, Channa argus, which is itself from the family name Channidae.

The commissioners are hoping to present the winning name to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for consideration for a name change, though the DNR said it does not have a say in the renaming of species. An official with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said his group also can’t rename the species.

“Who does have control over changing the name if it’s a common name?” asked the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he didn’t have permission to speak on behalf of the office. “Think about all the common names for different animals. Nobody has any rules or control over that. Whoever controls the species and has responsibility for them still has it, whether you call it a snakehead or a yummy fish.”

As regular readers will know, I went Snakehead fishing with my friend, and charter guide Mike Starrett last summer, and caught my first (and so far only) Snakehead (pictured above) .  Mike has been pushing a name change to "Potomac Pike" for a while, and seems a little unhappy with the leading choices. . .

Mike Starrett said he understands why the commissioners want to rename the species.

“Yeah, women cringe at the sound of snakehead,” said Starrett, a guide for Indian Head Charters, which fishes for several species including snakehead on Mattawoman Creek. “They don’t like snakes, and a lot of men don’t like snakes either, so they think anything associated with snakes is evil.”

Starrett said his problem lies with the three finalists.

“Sure [I’m OK with renaming it], but the names they chose just suck. They’re absolutely the worst,” said Starrett, who is booked for all but one day June through August and said his clients helped push the Potomac pike name. “Chesapeake Bay channa? That’s just stupid. Asian river fish? Oh, that’s even worse. Spotted channa? Yeah, that’s even worse. I can’t [find] a single person who said that [they voted for] any of those three names they selected.”

Now don't be shy, Mike.  Tell 'em what you really think.

I thought up the name "Asian Grindel", after a southern name for the native American Bowfin (Amia calva), a similar shaped fish with many similar habits.  It doesn't seem to have been a big hit either.