Invasive goldfish of a variety of sizes totaling and 450 kilograms, or 1,000 pounds, were removed from three different city storm ponds last week.
The longest pet goldfish ever recorded, which was from the Netherlands and was a whopping 18.7 inches long, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Even though the size is extremely huge, goldfish can get rather large if they are kept in the right conditions and fed a nutritious, well-balanced diet.
Saskatoon storm ponds overruns with invasive goldfish
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images
According to Brodie Thompson, an engineering manager for the city, if you're standing on the pond's edge on a sunny day, you can frequently see the vast numbers of goldfish pretty plainly, as per CBC news.
To solve the issue, the city has chosen to use the fish poison Rotenone. It recently got put in the water. According to Thompson, it doesn't take oxygen out of the water; instead, it prevents fish from taking oxygen out of the water. The Rotenone poses an extremely low risk to people and other animals, according to the city website.
Professor of biology at the University of Regina, Christopher Somers specializes in the study of invasive fish. There is just one method for goldfish to enter these kinds of restricted systems, according to Somers: when people get rid of undesired pets.
The main worry, according to Somers, is that some of these ponds can act as reservoirs for invasive species that eventually find their way into larger bodies of water like the South Saskatchewan River.
The city suggests that instead of discarding aquarium creatures in bodies of water, residents should get in touch with a nearby pet store that would take them.
The largest goldfish ever measured originated in the United Kingdom. and measured more than two pounds. The fish, affectionately known as Goldie by his owner, survived for 15 years and reached heights of five inches and lengths of just under 15.5 inches, as per Tankarium.
Another pet goldfish from Holland, with an incredible length of 18.7 inches, entered the Guinness Book of World Records. The fish was never weighed, but it was thought to weigh about three pounds.
It appears most likely that the attention these two world-record-breaking fish received as pets contributed to their amazing size in this case.
The growth of goldfish is also greatly influenced by water quality. The fish's growth will be hindered by poor water quality, and they could even end up with physical defects as a result. A balanced diet and enough food will also help.
The type of goldfish and its age affect a goldfish's weight. A typical pet goldfish weighs about eight ounces, though. Fancy goldfish with their distinctive egg-shaped bodies typically reach lengths of eight inches, while single-tail goldfish can grow to lengths of ten to twelve inches.
The first few months of a goldfish's life are when they grow the fastest, at a rate of about one inch per year. Goldfish continue to grow throughout their lives, unlike the majority of other popular pets. Although it depends on their habitat and other variables, goldfish don't grow in spurts.
