Okay, it's big, and it's ugly. But is it a problem?

That's the question wildlife managers, anglers and biologists are trying to answer right now during a summer of fish stories making the news.

While Maryland has the Northern Snakefish, in the Keystone State it's the Flathead Catfish. Unlike the imported oriental delicacy though, the Flathead is native to some parts of the state. What has everyone worried, is it's showing up in watersheds where it doesn't belong.

"It's something we want to keep an eye on," said Dan Tredinnick, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. "Certainly any time you introduce another top predator animal into the food chain, you want to keep an eye on it because it will occupy the same forage niche and same habitat niche as the other top sized catfish.

"We've seen them in Schulkyl since 1999 and have seen them increasing, but there's been no decline in other catfish species."

The Flathead is considered a native species in the Western part of the state, but its movement east has people concerned because of its potential impact on the food chain in the Susquehanna, Delaware and Schulkyl rivers. It first started turning up in the latter two about three years ago.

It's a big fish. The state record for a Flathead catfish is 43 pounds nine ounces and down south they've been know to reach more than 100 pounds. The fear is that it can crowd out other large fish and decimate native populations, a concern that is normal any time an "exotic" species is introduced to an ecosystem.

While the level of anxiety over this fish nowhere near approaches that of the Northern Snakefish, wildlife managers who would normally recommend catch and release fishing are instead recommending anglers who snag a Flathead, keep the thing.

"We are trying to reinforce the message that the sky isn't falling," Tredinnick said. "If somebody catches one we want them to make a positive I.D., if you do, then we'd prefer you not return it to the water. They can either eat it since they do taste good or dispose of it properly.

"This is in the eastern part of the state. They're native in the Western part of the state and we want to keep them there. They're going to be here in the East too, but we want to keep them under control."

While they're considered to be a good eating fish, depending on where one of these fish is caught, there may be restrictions on how often they should be eaten. A consumption advisory is in effect for the Delaware Estuary. No more than one meal a month is recommended from Flatheads caught in this region.

The Fish and Boat Commission's not changing any limit policies for the fish. Anglers still face a 50-fish creel limit and no minimum size requirements, just the same as for any other catfish. The commission does ask that if an angler doesn't plan on eating a Flathead, to either give it to someone who will, or wrap it up and dispose of it properly in a trash receptacle.

"Don't throw them back in the river or toss them on the bank," Tredinnick said. "That creates a whole separate set of issues."