Pet Goldfish, Released In Minnesota Lake, Grow To Gigantic Proportions

Authorities said the fish "grow bigger than you think", uproot plants and contribute to poor water quality.

The discovery of giant goldfish in a lake in the US state of Minnesota has prompted local authorities to urge residents to not illegally dump their unwanted pets in water bodies. Sharing images of the goldfish on social media, including some that grew to about the size of a football, the Burnsville authorities said the fish “grow bigger than you think” and uproot plants and contribute to poor water quality. During a water quality inspection earlier this month, Burnsville officials found several goldfish in the city's Keller Lake. 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 That's where I found this one a couple years ago. pic.twitter.com/hAfCGuMHCn I live across the street. The goldfish are easy prey for the lake's eagles. pic.twitter.com/oLqWhpGqx3 I'm not personally down to kill animals (even invasive ones) but I am all for practical and ecologically sound solutions to invasive species hurting our native animals. Goldfish go to the bottom of the pond and slow their metabolism for the colder months. They generally don't eat until the water temperature is above 50 degrees F. That fish is like don't body shame me pic.twitter.com/Vx63uAlog6 Dang those are some Massive Goldfish... Daryl Jacobson, the natural resources manager of Burnsville, told the Star Tribune that he expects these fish to be found in a lot of lakes around the metro, especially in low numbers. Authorities have partnered with Carp Solutions, a start-up, to find out how many goldfish are in Keller Lake, CNN reported. Caleb Ashling, Burnsville natural resources specialist, told CNN that they had reports from residents of large groups of goldfish in the lake, and added that some of the fish were the size of a football.