Giant Snakehead Pet Investigated By DEC

In 1999, Chris Deverso bought a giant snakehead fish for a pet. Since 2004, it has been illegal to own such fish in the US, and although Deverso was given the option to find a new home for it but was unable to do so.

Syracuse, NY - The Asian species of Giant Snakehead is a predatory fish by nature, which is what concerned the officers from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The fish are not only invasive but will eat all other fish in that body of water, and can make its way across land to find another source of food in a different lake, pond or stream. Chris Deverso had purchased "Rocky" in 1999 and kept the 28-inch-long fish in a huge tank. In 2004, owning such fish became illegal in the US. He tried convincing the state that Rocky was no threat because he had no intention of letting it loose but the Environmental Conservation officers weren't swayed. AP reported that although Deverso was given the option of trying to find a legal home for it, he couldn't get a zoo to take it and time had run out. His 10-year-old pet fish was supposed to be killed recently, but the DEC postponed the killing because of all the attention Rocky has received.