Monster Goldfish Found in Lake Tahoe
by Tanya Luis and LiveScience Feb. 21, 2013
Summary: When researchers were trawling the lake looking for fish that weren't native and harmful to our economy, instead scooped up a goldfish that was about 1.5 feet and 4.2 pounds! An environmental scientist named Sudeep Chandra has found 15 other goldfish that looked like the one scientists found in the first place. She says that it looked like they were schooling and spawning. Chandra is worried that these goldfish are dumped in the lake by their aquarium owners, because goldfish are an insasive species that can interfere with the ecosystem in Lake Tahoe. Chandra is unsure if they giant goldfish are full grown adults or if they are still small. Since goldfish are insasive species they tend to discharge nutrients that cause algal blooms. In America, aquarium dumping is very common between 20% and 69% of fish keepers/owners in Texas admitted to dumping. On the other hand, there are other ways that insasive species end up in the natural ecosystem by aquaculture, live seafood, live bait, and fishing. Including, tropical fish, seaweed, and snails as invaders. Even a deadly toxic seaweeed known as Caulerpa ends up in the natural ecosystem and ends up killing fish, because it produces toxics that harms them. Aquarium owners should be careful when throwing away unwanted fish and animals to the ecosystem. In addition, they should be dumping in the first place! Studies have shown that size and agressiveness of the fish are two main reasons why owners dump their fish.
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Source: Scientific American
GOLDIE- 15 inches long and weighs more than 2 pounds
Reflection: I was surprised that scientists found giant goldfish in the lake! I never expected to actually see a goldfish be that big. But it made me think on how some aquarium owners just dump their unwanted fish(s) or other creatures in waters where they don't belong. What I mean by that is that goldfish are insasive species and they can affect the ecosystem in the lake by discharging nutrients that cause algal blooms. Not only goldfish end up in the natural ecosystem, but snails, tropical fish, and seaweed as well. If aquatic owners don't want the fish, then why buy it? Why buy a fish if it's going to end up thrown in a community where it doesn't belong?
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