Tag: giant goldfish

Public plea issued after catch of freakishly large goldfish

Fisheries officials in Canada are sharing images of monstrous goldfish pulled from a Lake Ontario waterway in an attempt to discourage people from releasing aquarium fish into the wild.

Fisheries officials in Canada are sharing images of monstrous goldfish pulled from a Lake Ontario waterway and begging the public to stop releasing aquarium fish into the wild.

“Ever wonder what happens to pet goldfish when they end up in our waterways?” Fisheries and Oceans asked Wednesday via Twitter. “This one was pulled from Hamilton Harbour, where we’re studying this invasive species using acoustic transmitter tags.”

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The agency referred to the image atop this post, showing a freakishly large goldfish that clearly had been thriving at the expense of native flora and fauna.

“By tracking these goldfish,” Fisheries and Oceans continued, “we’ve learned that they’re breeding in Hamilton Harbour and targeting key spawning sites for native species like Northern Pike – tearing up aquatic plants for food and clouding the waters with their waste. That’s why it’s important to never release pets into the wild.”

Damage to native fisheries can be extensive wherever goldfish are released. They typically weigh less than half a pound in captivity, but can exceed five pounds in the wild, where they multiply and become voracious.

Several states in the U.S. are dealing with the same issues.

In July the City of Burnsville in Minnesota issued a similar public plea, tweeting images showing enormous goldfish pulled from Keller Lake.

“Please don’t release your pet goldfish into ponds and lakes!” the City of Burnsville tweeted. “They grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants.”

–Images courtesy of Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Fly angler lands giant goldfish in Central New York

A fly fisherman was casting a streamer for bass and carp Saturday at New York’s Onondaga Lake when he spotted two enormous goldfish.

A fly fisherman was casting a streamer for bass and carp Saturday at New York’s Onondaga Lake when he spotted two enormous goldfish.

“I tried catching them a few times, but with no luck. But just as I was getting ready to leave, I finally hooked one,” Joe Selover, of North Syracuse, told Syracuse.com.

Goldfish, members of the carp family, are native to East Asia and listed as an “uncommon species” in Onondaga Lake. They’ve gained a foothold in several New York waters thanks to an illegal practice called aquarium dumping.

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In these larger water bodies they can attain much larger sizes than most aquariums allow. But catches by recreational fishermen are still considered rare.

Selover’s goldfish was a whopper, measuring 14.5 inches. He hooked the fish at the mouth of Bloody Brook, and it made a long run up the brook and beneath a parkway.

After about 10 minutes, Selover gained the upper hand. But he had left his net in his car, so he asked an onlooker to hold his rod while he fetched the net.

According to Syracuse.com, Selover released the goldfish after snapping a photo of his catch next to his fly rod.

According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, goldfish have been documented in 15 state watersheds. The Adirondack Mountains is the only region where goldfish are not established.

The last known catch in Onondaga Lake occurred in 2019.

–Image courtesy of Joe Selover