DNR warns of dumping aquatic pets after finding massive goldfish in Indiana waters

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Sometimes it’s not good being the biggest fish in the pond.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife was warning people on social media Friday not to dump their aquatic pets after finding two massive goldfish swimming in an Indiana waterway.

While releasing unwanted pet fish into the wild might seem like the easy route, doing so can introduce invasive species to Indiana’s native ecosystems.

“Even if tropical fish can’t survive Indiana’s winters, they’re still able to spread diseases to our native fish,” the department said.

They also say that some species of domesticated fish, including goldfish, “can survive and even thrive,” causing severe damage to Indiana waterways and crowding out native fish.

As shared in the department’s photos, they can also get big – very big, which adds to the overall damage done.

To help prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species, the department asks that old bait be tossed out in the trash, and unwanted pet fish are rehomed rather than dumped.

The department says invasive species in the United States costs an estimated $120 billion in damage every year. To learn more about Indiana’s invasive aquatic species, visit their website.