Please, don’t release the Goldfish into ponds and lakes!

Huge soccer-sized goldfish are taking over Minnesota lake after being dumped by their owners.

Authorities are asking people not to release their fish into Lake Keller because they are becoming an invasive species, and harming the ecosystem.

In a tweet, they wrote:

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

In an article LiveSciene explained:

Kept in home aquariums, goldfish (Carassius auratus) usually do not exceed 2 inches (5.1 cm) in length. But when released into the wild, the tiny fish can turn into a balloon with monstrous scales. In 2013, a large goldfish caught in Lake Tahoe was nearly 1.5 feet (46 centimeters) long and weighed more than 4 pounds (2 kilograms).
And although they tend to die in captivity, the fish are very resilient when released into the wild. They are capable of living 25 years and surviving up to five months without oxygen.

About 50,000 goldfish were removed in Minnesota Carver County in November 2020, according to the Washington Post. What do you think about this? You know … Never throw a goldfish into a pond, river, lake or anything like that.