State Faces Problems With Invasive Fish HARRISBURG, PA. (WPSU) - Pennsylvania announced a ban on the transportation and ownership of snakehead fish. This notorious Asian fish has invaded a pond in Maryland, and officials plan to poison the pond before the fish can disrupt the local ecosystem.

Pennsylvania hasn't had any snakeheads yet, but the state does have another invasive fish problem on its hands.

Flathead catfish are native to Western Pennsylvania, but recently they've been inexplicably spotted in Central Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River. Dan Tredinick is spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and he says the problem with introducing fish into an ecosystem where they don't belong is that they compete with the fish that are already there.

Flathead catfish are hearty predators, and once they're in a river, it's hard to get them out. But hoping to keep their numbers down, the Fish and Boat Commission is advising anyone who catches a flathead not to throw it back into the water. © Copyright 2012, WPSU