The story of the snakehead’s release and subsequent damage to the Chesapeake Bay area reads like a Stephen King novel.

After depleting its food source — all species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and even small mammals — in one area, the snakehead takes to land in search of food in search of other waterways to plunk down in. The fish can survive out of water for up to three days thanks to an oxygen breathing mechanism. It reproduces voraciously.

The fish has cropped up in waters from Florida to Maryland, and most recently the Great Lakes. Its tasty flesh makes it a popular culinary fish in Asia and a popular import for live specialty fish markets in America.

Biologists suspect snakeheads were purposely introduced in some locations by fishermen hoping to add the fish to the menu on their dinner table. Its introduction has also been tracked to unsuspecting homeowners who grew tried of the fish in their aquarium and dumped it.

Imports of the fish have now been banned by the federal government and many states have outlawed its possession. Some state have also set up outlets for aquarium owners to euthanize or adopt fish when they no longer want them.