B.C. 'Frankenfish' report being investigated

A biologist willinspect a lagoon in a Burnaby, B.C., park Wednesday to see if theinvasive snakehead a so-called "Frankenfish"from Asia has somehow found its waythere.

A video posted on YouTube, purported to have been taken at the Central Park lagoonon Sunday, shows what looks like a snakehead fish.

Snakeheads are consideredhighly invasive,can grow to a metre in length and have rows of pointy teeth.

They are reported to have wiped out native fish stocks in parts of the U.S. The snakefish issaid to eat frogs, birds and even small pets.

"It's just a voracious predator," said Michael Russello, an associate professor of biology at the University of B.C.'s Okanagan Campus.

The fish also has a primitive lung system that allows it to stay out of water for extended periods and move between bodies of water, said Russello.

It is dubbed "Frankenfish" because ofits unusual appearance, voracious diet and unique anatomy.

Burnaby officials are concerned and want to know if the YouTube video is legitimate.

"We've contacted the Ministry of Environment to find out the protocol for dealing with this and we've also contacted a biologist to come in and actually confirm that it is actually one of these snakehead fish," said Don Hunter, Burnaby's Assistant Director of Parks.

Its not clear what Burnaby will do if it determines the fish is actually breeding in its waters.