When a Fort Wayne angler caught two odd-looking fish from the Pigeon River in LaGrange County, he thought they were snakeheads, an invasive species biologists fear could wreak havoc on native fish.

But as has happened with other reports of what someone thought were snakeheads, the dark green, slimy, toothy fish 27-year-old Jeremy Hennen caught were not the exotic predator from Asia. They were run-of-the-mill native bowfin, or what some anglers call dogfish. The mistake is easy to make.

Bowfin and snakeheads look alike. Both have round tails and long dorsal fins stretching along their backs. They each have teeth. Both live in similar habitats and are capable of breathing surface air by using the air bladder as a lung. Each can survive dry periods by burying themselves in mud.

In contrast, bowfin are generally greener and have a short anal fin. The anal fin on a snakehead extends more than half the length of the dorsal fin. The head of a bowfin is more rounded than a snakehead and, unlike a snakehead, the bowfin’s upper jaw is longer than its lower jaw.

Bowfin also have a large spot in front of the tail. The bulls-eye snakehead does too, but the giant snakehead and Northern snakehead do not.

Bowfin are native and common in lakes and rivers throughout Indiana. Snakeheads are present in several states, particularly along the East Coast, but have not been found in Indiana. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials hope to keep it that way.

To reduce the risk of snakeheads escaping into the wild, it is illegal for anyone to possess a live snakehead in Indiana, even in an aquarium. Anyone who catches or possesses a snakehead is also obligated to kill it. The DNR will provide euthanizing assistance, if needed.

Hennen, who has fished since he was seven years old, caught the bowfin while fishing for catfish and using hotdogs as bait. He had never caught a bowfin before and was unsure of what he had. “So, I let them go. I didn’t want to kill them,” he said.

“That’s okay,” said Jed Pearson, DNR fisheries biologist. “Bowfin evolved as a natural part of fish communities and don’t pose any ecological danger. But fishermen need to be on the lookout for snakeheads and know what to do if they catch one.”

More information on bowfin and snakeheads can be found online at www.in.gov/dnr/files/SNAKEHEADS.pdf

Abagale Trimnell was selected winner of the Wear It Indiana coloring contest in Rushville. The six-year-old entered her coloring to help support water safety at the Boys and Girls Club of Rush County.

Indiana conservation officers and the Boys and Girls Club cosponsored the contest. As winner, Abagale was presented with her very own new lifejacket.

Wear It Indiana is a public outreach campaign designed to enlighten and encourage the use of personal flotation devices (lifejackets) while boaters and swimmers are enjoying Indiana waterways.

Conservation officers strongly encourage boaters to wear their lifejackets or personal floatation devices while boating and swimming.  It may not be enough to simply carry lifejackets on board; accidents on the water happen too fast to reach stowed lifejackets.

Drowning remains the No. 1 cause of death in recreational boating accidents. In 2008, more than two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims were drownings, and 90 percent were not wearing a lifejacket.

Today there are many types of lifejackets marketed. The modern lifejacket is comfortable and custom designed to fit your favorite water activities, whether it is fishing, skiing or pleasure boating. To select a proper lifejacket one should:

•Select the proper size, type and style needed based on the preferred boating activities

•Check the label for information on proper use and to make sure the lifejacket is United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved

•Try it on and fasten all zippers, belts and snaps

•Pull up on the shoulders to ensure it doesn’t ride up and interfere with movement or breathing

Lifejackets should be inspected frequently to ensure all fasteners work and there are no rips or tear which may have developed.

Wear it, Indiana!

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.