Dumped Goldfish Are Becoming An Invasive Species
Goldfish have become an invasive species that have negatively impacted lakes within the United States, as well as around the world.
Large goldfish have been found in lakes within the United States such as Lake Tahoe, Quemado Lake in New Mexico, and Lake St.
Clair in Michigan.
Experts are worried how quickly goldfish can breed and change an ecosystem.
Goldfish dumping is happening around the country.
They are common in family aquariums and garden pools.
They are easily obtained, usually being one of the least expensive fish to purchase.
Not only that, they can be brought home through other means, for example, people may win a goldfish from a game booth at a fair.
When the goldfish is no longer wanted, or perhaps due to the need to move, people may think they are being kind to their pet goldfish by setting it free in a nearby lake, rather than killing it.
However, while they may save their pet's life, the goldfish may destroy a whole population of native fish.
According to an expert, Sue Williams, who is an ecology professor at the University of California, aquarium dumping has created one third of the world's worst aquatic invasive species.
Aquarium fish can become an invasive species and goldfish, of all species, do some of the worst invasive damage.
Goldfish create waste, which feeds algae near the shore.
Their feeding habits not only reduce water clarity, they can also ultimately bring about a decrease in water oxygen.
This in turn raises water temperatures, which in turn destroys the natural habitat for young, juvenile fish.
Goldfish root around in the mud, which makes the waters murky and suspends sediment.
Goldfish have been in Lake Tahoe since the 1990's.
Because Lake Tahoe is a huge tourist attraction for boating, hiking, cycling, and swimming, biologists have been employed in an effort to keep the waters pristine.
They discovered that goldfish are becoming an invasive species.
In 2011, biologists discovered a 14.
2 inch goldfish weighing over three pounds.
Goldfish in Lake Tahoe eat minnows, which are food for trout.
Not only are goldfish a problem to Lake Tahoe, but also pollution and climate change have become problems to the Lake Tahoe ecosystem.
Thus, with all the challenges to Lake Tahoe, goldfish can be a factor that may tip the balance to an entirely different type of lake composition.
In 2011, Nevada passed a law making it illegal to dump goldfish and other invasive fish.
As already mentioned, another lake invaded by goldfish is Quemado Lake in New Mexico.
Over five and a half tons of goldfish have been removed from this lake.
There were so many goldfish, it gave the lake an orange hue.
One way to remove the invasive fish is to shock them, which stuns the fish and allows them to be gathered and removed.
Few fish actually die from electrical shock.
One third of the worst invasive aquatic species of the world has come from the practice of dumping aquarium goldfish and other non-native fish.
Like the pythons who have invaded the Florida Keys, and have become a serious problem that is eating natural species and affecting the natural habitat, goldfish are become a serious invasive problem due to aquarium owners who are dumping unwanted fish, not realizing the serious consequences of their actions.
Large goldfish have been found in lakes within the United States such as Lake Tahoe, Quemado Lake in New Mexico, and Lake St.
Clair in Michigan.
Experts are worried how quickly goldfish can breed and change an ecosystem.
Goldfish dumping is happening around the country.
They are common in family aquariums and garden pools.
They are easily obtained, usually being one of the least expensive fish to purchase.
Not only that, they can be brought home through other means, for example, people may win a goldfish from a game booth at a fair.
When the goldfish is no longer wanted, or perhaps due to the need to move, people may think they are being kind to their pet goldfish by setting it free in a nearby lake, rather than killing it.
However, while they may save their pet's life, the goldfish may destroy a whole population of native fish.
According to an expert, Sue Williams, who is an ecology professor at the University of California, aquarium dumping has created one third of the world's worst aquatic invasive species.
Aquarium fish can become an invasive species and goldfish, of all species, do some of the worst invasive damage.
Goldfish create waste, which feeds algae near the shore.
Their feeding habits not only reduce water clarity, they can also ultimately bring about a decrease in water oxygen.
This in turn raises water temperatures, which in turn destroys the natural habitat for young, juvenile fish.
Goldfish root around in the mud, which makes the waters murky and suspends sediment.
Goldfish have been in Lake Tahoe since the 1990's.
Because Lake Tahoe is a huge tourist attraction for boating, hiking, cycling, and swimming, biologists have been employed in an effort to keep the waters pristine.
They discovered that goldfish are becoming an invasive species.
In 2011, biologists discovered a 14.
2 inch goldfish weighing over three pounds.
Goldfish in Lake Tahoe eat minnows, which are food for trout.
Not only are goldfish a problem to Lake Tahoe, but also pollution and climate change have become problems to the Lake Tahoe ecosystem.
Thus, with all the challenges to Lake Tahoe, goldfish can be a factor that may tip the balance to an entirely different type of lake composition.
In 2011, Nevada passed a law making it illegal to dump goldfish and other invasive fish.
As already mentioned, another lake invaded by goldfish is Quemado Lake in New Mexico.
Over five and a half tons of goldfish have been removed from this lake.
There were so many goldfish, it gave the lake an orange hue.
One way to remove the invasive fish is to shock them, which stuns the fish and allows them to be gathered and removed.
Few fish actually die from electrical shock.
One third of the worst invasive aquatic species of the world has come from the practice of dumping aquarium goldfish and other non-native fish.
Like the pythons who have invaded the Florida Keys, and have become a serious problem that is eating natural species and affecting the natural habitat, goldfish are become a serious invasive problem due to aquarium owners who are dumping unwanted fish, not realizing the serious consequences of their actions.
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