If you livd near a lake or other freshwater source that is a natural habitat for carp, it’s likely you’ve noticed a few “colorful” additions here and there.
The tagalongs are sometimes dumped koi, but other times, they’re a no-longer-wanted and now overgrown goldfish.
There are many breeds of goldfish but they are all, as a rule, hardy types of carp. They have been hybridized with koi and, in the case of goldfish dumped into freshwater bodies, with regular carp.
The fish caught in BlueWater Lakes in Champagne, France – now known as Carrot – has likely had 20 years of freedom in which to achieve her 67-pound stature.
It took angler Andy Hackett, from Worcestershire, UK, 25 minutes to reel her in. He then snapped some pictures and released her back into the wild.
Gigantic goldfish have been reported as a problem in parts of America, as they upset silt beds and rip up plants in waterways where they are not native. A goldfish sold to be a pet is considered an invasive species, and also poses a danger to native fish by stealing too much of the available food source.
Please don't release your pet goldfish into ponds and lakes! They grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants.
Groups of these large goldfish were recently found in Keller Lake. pic.twitter.com/Zmya2Ql1E2— City of Burnsville (@BurnsvilleMN) July 9, 2021
Just because a goldfish starts out small enough to fit in a bowl does not mean it will stay that way; the size of a goldfish is largely dictated by their environment.
So small bowl, small fish. Big lake… you get a fish like Carrot.
It is illegal to dump unwanted pets in wild waterways, so that’s something else to keep in mind if you just can’t manage to dispatch your goldfish in a traditional way.
You know. Totally by accident while your kids are watching.
