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mendax [soylentnews.org] writes:

Something for a slow news day, or just because it's neat and thoughtful science.

The New York Times has a story [nytimes.com] that describes just how devastating it can be to an ecosystem to dispose of goldfish, "the most invasive aquatic species" in a river or stream.

Two decades ago, someone dropped a handful of unwanted pet goldfish into a creek in southwestern Australia. Those goldfish grew, swam downstream, mucked up waters wherever they went and spawned like mad. Before long, they took over the whole river.

Researchers from Murdoch University believe this scenario, or something like it, is the cause of a feral goldfish invasion in Australia’s Vasse River. Since 2003, they have been running a goldfish tracking and control program that involves catching fish along the length of the river, freezing them to death and studying them in the lab. Despite this program, goldfish in the Vasse are thriving, with some fish growing as long as 16 inches and weighing up to four pounds — the size of a two-liter soda bottle.

The article contains some insightful information as to how to get rid of unwanted goldfish:

The best strategy is to give healthy fish away, to a responsible aquarium, pet store or hobbyist.... In Florida, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes unwanted exotic pets off people’s hands on regularly scheduled amnesty days.

If your fish is sick, the most humane way to kill it is probably to put it in an ice slurry. As for whether you should flush your fish down the toilet, experts recommend against it. Not only is there a slight chance your fish could survive a journey through the septic system and end up in the wild, but, in general, it’s just not a very pleasant way to say goodbye to Bubbles.

I have a couple alternate solutions. First, tropical lion fish love goldfish, as I learned in a middle school science class. Second, goldfish are edible [foodrepublic.com]. Think about that the next time you complain about the price of fish!

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