Just recently it was reported that biologists from the
University of Nevada at Reno have been routinely observing
unusually large goldfish in the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe in
Northern California. This phenomenon has caught the attention of
the California State Fish and Game Department who have
instituted routine patrols to seek out what they consider to be
a dangerous invasive species. The scientists speculate that the
giant goldfish were introduced in the Lake Tahoe by so-called
“aquarium dumpers,” well-meaning people who when they were no
longer able to care for their pet fish, decided to abandon them
in Lake Tahoe where they believed they would live out their
lives in a safe and pleasant environment in the company of many
other species of fish and crustaceans. Some experts questioned
whether a goldfish could survive the frigid winters that
characterize this deep, high-mountain lake. However, reality
proved to be stranger than fiction when the goldfish not only
survived, but thrived in the harsh Alpine