From pet to pest: UToledo research warns invasive goldfish are reshaping freshwater ecosystems
From: eurekalert.org
A new peer-reviewed study conducted by researchers at the University of Toledo and University of Missouri provides some of the first rigorous experimental evidence that goldfish — one of the world’s most popular pets — can dramatically change freshwater ecosystems when released or they escape into the wild.
The findings published today in the Journal of Animal Ecology, carry an urgent message for pet owners, resource managers and policymakers alike: goldfish might be great pets, but they are not harmless in the wild.
“It is critically important to inform the public that their pets can become pests that will harm freshwater ecosystems. The evidence is now clear — releasing a goldfish into the wild might be seen as an act of kindness, but it can turn into a major ecological threat,” said the study’s lead investigator, Dr. William Hintz, associate professor in UToledo’s Department of Environmental Sciences and Lake Erie Center.
Rigorous Scientific Approach; Stark Results
Titled, “Invasive goldfish trigger a regime shift in experimental lake ecosystems of varying trophic state,” the study used large-scale, controlled outdoor mesocosm experiments to simulate realistic lake conditions and track the effects of goldfish introductions across different ecosystem types.