A gigantic goldfish being displayed at the University of Nevada, Reno by researcher Christine Ngai.
It sounds like someone’s aquarium dumping has bred a new race of monster goldfish.
When a group of researchers searched Lake Tahoe for fish species not native to the lake, they came upon a gigantic goldfish, which measured at nearly 1.5 feet and 4.2 pounds.
It’s unknown whether this giant fish was introduced to the lake was an adult or juvenile. Environmental scientist Sudeep Chandra of the University of Nevada, Reno spoke to LiveScience about his research team’s fish surveys:
During these surveys, we’ve found a nice corner where there’s about 15 other goldfish. It’s an indication that they were schooling and spawning. We know that we have a giant goldfish, the question now becomes how long has it been there and how many others are there in the lake?
The goldfish being investigated by researchers is a species of invasive warm-water fishes. They’re being labeled as invasive because the fish aren’t native to Lake Tahoe. They’re harmful since they’re able to excrete nutrients that birth algal blooms.
These blooms could possibly muddy up Lake Tahoe’s water and create a larger problem for the lake’s ecosystem.
Chandra went on to speak about the invasion resulting from these goldfish:
The invasion is resulting in the consumption of native species.
This gigantic goldfish is a direct result of aquarium dumping, a practice that has become a huge problem in the states and globally. A document from The City of Gold Coast on this practice can be read below:
A video on the monster goldfish breeding in Lake Tahoe can be seen below: