A pet goldfish that is roughly two inches long as it swims in a small aquarium has grown into a monstrous size after residents of Burnsville, Minneapolis, US dumped them into the city’s Keller lake. When the tiny goldfish had enough room to swim and eat as much as it could, the tiny Goldfish grew up to one foot in length. The official Twitter handle of the City of Burnsville, shared the pictures of the grown up goldfish found from the lake and urged citizens to not release their pet goldfish into ponds and lakes. The tweet also mentioned that the fish grows bigger than they think and contributes to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants.
Please don't release your pet goldfish into ponds and lakes! They grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants. Groups of these large goldfish were recently found in Keller Lake. pic.twitter.com/Zmya2Ql1E2— City of Burnsville (@BurnsvilleMN) July 9, 2021
The ornamental fish which belong to the carp breed are usually used for domestic purposes. However, when they are left in the wild their average life span extends to 41 years. According to National Geographic, goldfish turn into villainous creatures when released into the lakes. The publication mentions that goldfish are known to carry disease and parasites, as well as breed with wild carp in the area.
They are invasive by nature and can harm native fish populations by disrupting sediment with its feeding habits, swimming along the bottom of the water body and stirring up dirt. The report also mentions that goldfish can even feed on the eggs of native aquatic animals like salamanders or disturb vegetation of the water body which is essential for the survival of other fishes.
Goldfish can weather severe conditions like harsh winters in bodies of water that have frozen over, living for months without oxygen. Speaking to The Washington Post, Przemek Bajer, an aquatic invasive species professor at the University of Minnesota, said that this quality makes goldfish really tough and allows them to dominate certain types of aquatic ecosystems. Their presence can change the water quality for the worse and can severely harm the survival of other native species.
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