FAIRPORT HARBOR, Ohio — During an August fish survey at Fairport harbor in Lake County, technicians with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources found a “HUGE” goldfish in the lake, according to social posts from the department.
While the massive fish was an impressive sight, it was also an opportunity for ODNR to remind Ohioans not to release aquarium fish into natural waters, “as they can have a negative impact on native fish species,” ODNR officials said.
According to Habitattitude, an educational campaign about the dangers of invasive special in nature, most aquarium fish are from tropical and subtropical regions and do not survive winters in most parts of the U.S.
Some aquarium fish species may be considered invasive in Ohio. Click here for more resources on aquatic invasive species from the ODNR.
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