Monster Goldfish, Lake Tahoe [PHOTO]: Researchers Discover A 'Monster' That Could Be Dangerous For Ecosystem, How Did It Get There?

During a lake trawl for invasive fish, researchers caught a gigantic goldfish that was almost 1.5 feet long and 4.2 pounds heavy. Environmental scientist, Sudeep Chandra of the Univery of Nevada, Renoa, said, "During these surveys, we've found a nice corner where there's about 15 other goldfish. It's an indication that they were schooling and spawning." Though this is a quite the story, it is an unfortunate one since goldfish are an invasive species and could interfere with the ecosystem of Lake Tahoe. These fish were most likely dumper in the lake by aquarium owners.

Whether the gigantic fish were dumped as fully-grown adults or while they were still small is still unclear. Even though it might not seem like it, small creatures can have a big impact depending on the amount. These goldfish are only one of several invasive warm-water fish species in Lake Tahoe. "The invasion is resulting in the consumption of native species," Chandra said. Also, goldfish excrete certain nutrients that can lead to Lake Tahoe's clear water becoming muddy.

Kept as pets in small fish tanks and aquariums, goldfish reportedly never grow more than 6 inched long and actually tend to stay around 1 to 2 inches in length. According to the BBC, the largest pet goldfish was named Goldie and was 15 inches long and weighed over 2 pounds. In the wild, however, a goldfish is able to reach 12 to 14 inches in length. Even the colors of pet and wild goldfish differ. When you picture a goldfish you probably see an amber-toned fish or maybe white with red spots. In the wild these fish are more of an olive green color as a form of camouflage against predators. Goldfish are part of the carp family.

The presence of these invasive species is proof that aquarium owner are indeed dumping these fish, even though an exact count of the culprits is almost impossible to obtain. Though these species can find their way into natural ecosystem by other means including live seafood, live bait, and aquaculture vessels. Invaders include snails, tropical fish and seaweed. Caulerpa is a deadly type of algae that produces toxic compounds that kill fish. Luckily this seaweed strain was eradicated in 2000 from the southern California lagoons.

Why are so many people dumping fish? Certain studies on dumping have shown that the aggressiveness and the size of the fish are two main reasons.