Monster goldfish have been found in Lake Tahoe, and as benign as that sounds, researchers say the creatures could pose a threat to the other aquatic life there. <\/p>\n
While looking for invasive wildlife in the lake, researcher Christine Ngai was part of a team who found the monstrous fish on a routine scan of the waters. She says they were surprised by the find.<\/p>\n
“You just see this bright golden orange thing starting to float up, and you’re like, “What is that?” And then you take a net and scoop it up and it’s like, “It’s a goldfish!” Ngai said.<\/p>\n
The fish, experts say, were most likely dumped there from aquariums; it’s a growing problem across the nation that has seen numerous species native to their environments put in danger as they’re consumed by the goldfish.<\/p>\n
Despite the extreme cold temperatures of the lake, the goldfish are not only surviving in their new environment, they are actually breeding in it. This could also be a problem, because goldfish excrete certain nutrients that cause bacteria to murk up the water–not good for a tourist attraction. <\/p>\n
“Oftentimes people think, ‘Well, gee, if I just dumped in one fish, that’s not going to make a difference,’” Pamela Schofield<\/a>, an ecologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, said. “But it can with goldfish because of the way they eat — they root around in the sediment and that suspends the sediment up in the water.”<\/p>\n In short, don’t dump your fish. It’s suggested<\/a> that if you want to get rid of some, get in touch with the local wildlife authority.<\/p>\n