What Happens to Goldfish When They Are Dumped in Lakes?

Goldfish are capable of reaching gargantuan sizes.

Did you ever wonder what happens to goldfish after they’re tossed in a lake by owners who can’t bother to care for them anymore? Surprisingly enough, they don’t die, rather the opposite, they thrive and usually end up taking over their new environment.

When placed in a round bowl with a miniature castle a goldfish looks like the cutest, most harmless pet in the world. However, the seemingly helpless creature can grow up to be a fierce invader capable of wreaking havoc in a new ecosystem.

Last year in April the Parks and Wildlife officials from Colorado were forced to handle an infestation of over 4,000 goldfish in a Boulder County after an unknown individual dumped a bowl of goldfish in the same waters.

In 2013, California officials had to deal with a similar problem after Lake Tahoe was invaded by the former pets.

The biggest problem registered so far is in southwestern Australia on the Vasse River. Researchers declared that the disposal practice, while well-intentioned, is not humane for the other creatures living in the local waters.

According to a Murdoch University professor, Stephen Batty, the problem with the goldfish dumped in Australian waters is bigger than initially thought.

Not only do goldfish reproduce in mass, taking over the space of native species, but they also reach gargantuan sizes (researchers found specimens as big as 4 pounds).

In US’ Lake Tahoe, the US Forest Service found goldfish weighing an average of three pounds and measuring between 6 and 8 inches.

In each case, the invading species were introduced to the new environment via dumping.

Researchers believe that the fish were dumped by families with small children when moving from one town to another. Another possibility may be that some people who got them as pets grew tired of them and decided to dump them in the lake rather than flushing them down the toilet.

“They’ll start eating up everything that the native fish and the amphibians and the birds are here to eat, and so that can have a really negative effect down the road – and this can kill this fishery in a few years.”

A study published in the Ecology of Freshwater Fish Journal on August 12^th found that the common pet fish is capable of traveling long distances in search of food. Moreover, the scientists discovered that goldfish seek wetlands to reproduce, the habit helping them increase their population.

Image source: Flickr

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Roxanne Briean

I am a geek, a gamer and a writer. I have always been fascinated with the online community. At the moment I work as a full-time writer and study interior design. When I'm not scouring the net in search of interesting new gadgets and software I spend my time in MOBAs or drawing.