Goldfish is one of the most commonly kept aquarium pet in the world. In fact, most carnivals from the past, make these little fishes as prices for winning at games. But, have you seen a giant goldfish-- weighing nine pounds? If this is yours, better get it now, according to local officials of South Carolina.
"Anyone missing their goldfish?"
Have you ever had a goldfish pet? Commonly, goldfishes are kept inside aquarium and tanks for many years. This has been the staple for most pet owners out there, to also look out for goldfish at home.
Not only are they cute to have at home, they're also very small compared to other fishes. And they always stay like this.
Regular goldfishes have sizes of 1-2 inches long and never grow larger than 6 inches (15 centimeters), according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
However, on Monday, Dec. 7, park officials from Greenville County, South Carolina found a stunning and supersize nine-pound goldfish in Oak Grove Lake.
It has a weight of nine pounds and about 15 inches long, which is double the size of a regular large goldfish.
CNN reported that Ty Houck, director of Greenways, Natural and Historic Resources for the Greenville County Recreation District, wherein he said that he had no idea on how the goldfish got in the lake.
After all, goldfish is not a native pet in the state.
Along with the posted gigantic picture of the goldfish, officials also draw out attention to the owner of the said goldfish. They said that the fish is still unnamed. No one also claimed the said fish.
"We think someone must have just dropped their fish in the lake because they didn't want it anymore, instead of flushing it down the toilet," Houck said.
According to Greenville Rec, since no one claimed the pet, "currently unnamed goldfish is obviously very happy and healthy at Oak Grove Lake so we just said hello and put him back."
Is it dead?
Fortunately, the nine-pound unnamed goldfish is still alive, as of now.
As narrated by the officials that captured the fish, the goldfish jumped out of the lake when the team was conducting electrofishing, which gently shocks the fish and forces them to float to the surface of the water so surveyors can check for any signs indicating unhealthy water.
"All of a sudden this giant fish jumped out and into the net and we quickly snapped a photo while examining it," Houck said.
How did this happen?
There are no chemicals put inside the body of the goldfish, as explained by the officials.
They explained that the omnivorous goldfish could have been eating abudantly in the lake, wherein it got his huge size.
National Geographic also explains that goldfish "is usually constrained by the size of its tank." Meaning to say, these fishes could grow as big as this nine-pound fish.
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