Hello everyone, it’s time for "Brother Tao to talk nonsense" again. Today I will tell you about the bad things that Canada has encountered recently.
Many people should have raised goldfish, right?
In our impression, goldfish are “pets” and should be small, exquisite, mini and cute. Ever since the working people of ancient China selected, bred and domesticated wild crucian carp into goldfish 1700 years ago, this colorful ornamental fish has been very popular with humans.
Cute little goldfish
But if the scale and shape of a thing itself changes beyond people's inherent cognition, it will bring a considerable sense of violation. For example, a small goldfish suddenly enlarged dozens of times and turned into a giant alien the size of a football, like this -
Doesn't it suddenly feel less cute? This is not a fish model or a toy, this is a real goldfish that appeared in Ontario, Canada a few years ago.
Why do our Chinese goldfish look like this when they arrive in Canada? Is it a genetic mutation?
Residents nearby are full of fear and confusion about the appearance of this goldfish. They are worried that the water quality and soil around their homes contain radioactive substances, causing the goldfish to mutate.
The terrifying giant goldfish
Scientists then brought the goldfish back to the laboratory and extracted DNA samples for analysis. However, they did not find any abnormalities in the AR fragment on the nucleoplasmic slices of the goldfish. However, the water quality around residents' residences There was no obvious excess of nuclear radiation in the soil and soil.
So, this is an ordinary goldfish, no different from the ones we keep in fish tanks, the only difference is that they are really big.
Unwilling to be confused, Canadian scientists installed micro-tracking and remote sensing devices on these goldfish, hoping to reveal the secrets of giant goldfish through their movement trajectories.
Beginning in April 2020, scientists discovered a piece of valuable information in the recovered data, that is, goldfish will intermittently gather somewhere. After confirming that it is not a food-dense place, the scientists concluded that this place will A large number of similar species have poured in. Due to the need for mating, the original giant goldfish will go to find their favorite lovers one after another.
The place where the goldfish group mates happens to be the confluence of another river.
Scientists continued to search for clues along the river, and sure enough, they also found many giant goldfish with unusual sizes in the river.
So scientists continued to follow the river, and finally found a huge rainwater pool in southwestern Ontario in October 2021. Preliminary estimates indicate that there are at least more than 20,000 goldfish here, and the largest one was born in 19 More than a kilogram!
So what are the factors that cause goldfish to become larger?
The answer lies in this inconspicuous rainwater pond - this is not a "paradise" for fish. On the contrary, the environment is too harsh, especially the oxygen content is extremely low.
Canada has a high latitude and many areas have low temperatures all year round. Therefore, fish in inland rivers are not very heat-resistant. Even if the temperature rises in summer, native fish can dive deeper into the water to avoid being burned by "high temperatures". bake.
But this rainwater pond is too shallow, with an average depth of less than 50 cm. The water temperature in summer can reach 28°+, and the oxygen content in the water is less than 3.4 mg/L. Therefore, for most Canadian native fish, this place is It belongs to a harsh and extreme environment and cannot survive at all.
But goldfish can. As long as the water temperature does not exceed 30°C, goldfish can still reproduce as usual even in a low-oxygen environment.
In addition, unlike what many people think, goldfish themselves are extremely long-lived animals. Domestic goldfish are subject to the size of the fish tank and food ingredients and can easily die. However, the theoretical lifespan of goldfish in the wild can reach more than 40 years, with a body size of 35 More than centimeters!
The upper limit of the size of goldfish is very high
What a coincidence, not far from this rainwater pond, the sewer of the town happens to be connected. The rich nutrients seep through the soil and river bed, continuously nourishing the giant goldfish. Home allows them to push the limits of their size without restraint.
is the forerunner to grow into a giant, and it will also use its gonads to release a kind of developmental hormone to "drive" those small goldfish to grow bigger together. First, it will drive them big, and then they will become bigger.
Therefore, firstly, there are no natural enemies to chase and kill, secondly, there are no aliens competing for food, thirdly, they are not afraid of low oxygen and high temperatures, fourthly, they happen to be enriched in nutrients, fifthly, they are driven by the growth first and then the growth. With the combined efforts of the five factors, this inconspicuous rainwater pond is finally transformed. , turned into a place where giant goldfish hatch.
Canadian scientists believe that this is not a good thing. The rampage of any alien species in the wild will eventually turn into an ecological disaster. Even seemingly harmless pet fish are no exception.
Especially after this kind of goldfish was also found in Hamilton Harbor, Canada, scientists sent out a signal of concern.
Northern Canada is the spawning ground for the important economic fish species Pike (also commonly known as pike ). Although in terms of individual fish combat effectiveness, goldfish are far from being able to compete with pike, but these giants are left alone. If a giant invader invades the territory of pike fish, then, after three years, the pike fish production in Manitoba, Canada is expected to drop by 27%. After 10 years, the number of pike fish in Canada may only be 3% of the existing number.
Pike fish in northern Canada
Because pike fish are "severely allergic" to an aquatic plant called blue-green algae , the neurotoxin BMAA in it can cause spinal deformities in pike fish, but goldfish can survive in the presence of blue-green algae. survive in the waters, and they can even help blue-green algae bloom to a certain extent.
But goldfish are quite unfriendly to other underwater vegetation. Anyone who has raised fish knows that goldfish have a very unique way of eating. They first wrap a mouthful of mud in their mouths, and then spit it out to form a mist of mud. Cloud, and then step forward to eat the food in the cloud.
This way of eating only requires one or two goldfish. Once there are more, it will cause complete changes to the ecology of the water body.
First of all, the rhizomes of a large number of aquatic plants will be irreversibly damaged by goldfish's repeated spitting of soil. No domestic plant can withstand the constant digging of soil, and it will definitely not survive in the end.
Secondly, mud clouds that persist day and night will severely reduce the visibility of water bodies, making it more difficult for sunlight to shine in, and further kill small fish and plants that require sunlight for production.
The fate of pike fish, which mainly feeds on small fish, can be imagined after losing a large number of food sources. Moreover, giant goldfish themselves are not edible. The average size of pike fish is only about 60 centimeters, so it is indeed a bit overwhelming for them to hunt giant goldfish of 3.40 centimeters.
In scientists' prediction model , once giant goldfish spread, they will be as destructive as underwater locusts , not only pike fish, but also a large number of other animals and plants in aquatic habitats. They will also die due to the extreme compression of their living space. No one can say whether it will eventually evolve into an ecological disaster similar to the "out of ten fish and nine out of ten" in my country's southern waters.
In southern my country, tilapia is overflowing, and in many waters, only this fish can be caught.
Due to the suggestions and appeals of scientists, Canadian local governments decided to nip the problem in the bud. They placed clear signs in conspicuous places in waters around the country. People are reminded that if they have unwanted goldfish, they must not throw them away or release them. Instead, return them to the store for harmless treatment, or give them to friends in need to prevent goldfish from entering the wild in the first place.
In addition, the government has also introduced some ferocious carnivorous fish into relevant waters where giant goldfish have appeared, such as giant bass, giant bass , large salmon, etc. These fish generally have "big appetites" and can be eaten in small quantities. Biological therapies that can suppress small goldfish that are not yet mature, and use fish to make fish are often the ones with the least side effects and the most significant effects.
Large salmon
Okay, I am Brother Tao who loves fishing and chatting. If you like it, just follow me.
