True Story: Man Finds Half Fish and Keeps It as Pet for Six Months

A fish which lost its tail, and half its body, when it tried to leap out of a cement-lined pond no doubt thought its future looked bleak.

Amazingly, it survived its ordeal... only to end up in a tank in a Thai market, where it could well have spent its dying days.

But one man who spotted the poor creature took pity on it, adopted it and brought it home.

Watchara Chote, from Ratchaburi, named his new pet I-Half.

After its horrific accident, the fish - a hypsibarbus wetmorei - fractured its bones.

These eventually wasted away, causing the tail to fall off, according to Matichon News, the Mirror reported.

However, Chote, 36, and I-Half, were able to enjoy each other's company for six months.

During this time, he took his wonder pet to several villages to show it off.

But then, sadly, his aqua buddy passed away- whereupon well-wishers donated money for him to buy a tiny coffin.

Still, not a bad innings for a fish with half a body.

This fish lost its tail - and half its body - when it tried to leap out of a cement-lined pond.

The injured creature was spotted by Watchara Chote in a market in Thailand. He took pity on it and took it home.

Chote, 36, and his new chum - whom he named I-Half - were able to enjoy each other's company for six months.

.. but then I-Half died. Chote had taken great pride in showing off his fish to villagers, who clubbed together to buy a tiny, fishy coffin.

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Adorable Animals Singing Jingle Bells! Send to Your Friends For A Holiday Greeting

Talking animal videos never fail to make me laugh. Watch and listen to an animal choir as they “sing” Jingle Bells. Adorable and funny. The perfect combo!

Copy the link below to send to family and friends!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRzhd3eUyO8

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

The Pet Tree House

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Heartbreaking: This Video Shows the Techniques Used by SeaWorld to Capture It’s First Orcas

In the wake of the documentary Blackfish, SeaWorld has had to account for their questionable business practices and the ethical questions surrounding cetacean captivity.

This video features the techniques used to capture SeaWorld’s first orcas. It is both stunning in its depiction of killer whale intelligence and the relentless cruelty the capture teams used to take calves from their mothers. In fact, during this particular raid, several whales died as a result of the chase.

Watch this clip from Blackfish:

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A 5-Year-Old Girl Has Been Killed by a Jumping Sturgeon Fish Which Leaped Onto Her Family's Boat

Jayln Rippy was travelling along the Suwannee River near Gainesville, Florida, on Thursday when she was struck by the fish.

Her mother Tanya Faye, 31, and nine-year-old brother Trevor were also injured during the horrifying incident.

They were airlifted to hospital and treated for facial injuries that will need surgery.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it was the first death caused by a sturgeon this year, while four people have been injured.

Two other people, Colleen Harvey, 42, and her husband Charles, 41, were also hurt by jumping sturgeons Friday while boating on the nearby Santa Fe River, WTSP reported.

Maj. Andy Krause, FWC regional commander in Lake City, said: 'With the low water levels in the river system, the sturgeon are jumping much more frequently than in recent years.

'We want everyone boating on the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers to be aware that the sturgeon are jumping and that people have been injured.'

A GoFundMe page http://www.gofundme.com/yhf7v4  was set up to help the family cover funeral and expenses costs.

The description read: 'The Rippy family was involved in an accident on Thursday, July 2, 2015 where a sturgeon collided with their boat.

'Their precious baby Jayln became an angel early July 3, 2015. Tanya and Trevor will both have to see specialist and face possible surgeries.

'This family will also face the cost of the funeral. Please donate what you can and continue to keep them in your prayers more than everything!'

As of Saturday afternoon, they had raised $7,930.

The fish are known for leaping more than seven feet above the water.

They can grow up to eight feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds and can cause serious injuries.

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Experts Say This Summer is Brewing up Something of a Perfect Storm for Shark Attacks

More than half a dozen shark attacks have happened in North Carolina in the last three weeks, nearly as many as happened all of last year.

Experts say this summer is brewing up something of a perfect storm for the attacks. But while they seem like they're everywhere, shark populations are actually dwindling.

And the real reason there have been so many attacks likely isn't because there are more sharks in the water — it's because there are more people swimming in it than ever before.

  

Shark expert George Burgess of the International Shark Attack File explained the trend in a recent NPR interview:

Shark populations in the US and around the world are at perhaps all-time lows. On the other hand, the human population continues to rise every year. We have no curbing of that.

And fundamentally [a] shark attack ... is driven by the number of humans in the water more than the number of sharks, and when areas such as the Carolinas become popular tourist destinations, as they have, there's [sic] more people entering the water. You're going to end up having more shark bites.

  

While a number of studies in recent decades have suggested that shark populations around the world are all declining sharply, it's hard for scientists to get exact numbers on them.

  

Nevertheless, by comparing recent population numbers with past data, we can get a general estimate of how sharks are doing across the globe, marine biologist and University of Miami graduate student David Shiffman explains in a recent post on his blog.

 One frequently-cited survey of data published in 2003 from fisheries gathered between 1986 and 2000 suggests that shark populations are in deep trouble.

  

The data from that survey found that hammerhead populations were declining by an average of 89%; great whites by 79%; tiger sharks by 65%, thresher sharks by 80%, blue sharks by 60%, and mako sharks by 70%:

(Science/"Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic") Declines in estimated relative abundance for coastal shark species: (A) hammerhead, (B) white, (C) tiger, and (D) coastal shark species; and oceanic shark species: (E) thresher, (F) blue, (G) mako, and (H) oceanic whitetip.

"We may never know exactly how many sharks are out there, or exactly how many are killed each year. What we do know, from a variety of different types of analysis, is that many species of sharks are decreasing in population at alarming rates," writes Shiffman.

Why are sharks in trouble?

While vigilante shark hunters can do significant damage to local shark populations, the real problem centers around two main activities: Hunting sharks for their meat and fins and irresponsible fishing practices. Each year, thousands of sharks are caught and trapped in fishing nets and other fishing gear.

And while it might seem like good news that there are fewer sharks around, it's actually a very big problem for the rest of us.

In many places, sharks are apex predators, meaning they occupy the spot right at the top of the food chain. If their populations aren't healthy and stable, it throws all of the other life in the oceans out ofbalance.

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Plus, sharks have a bunch of characteristics that make them especially vulnerable to exploitation http://www.seethewild.org/shark-threats/, including the fact that they live long lives, mature late in life, and have very few young.

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Mutilated Animal Carcasses Found Around Sacramento, California

It started when someone left a 120-pound cow head in a park.

At first, investigators in Sacramento wondered if that someone was a hunter, one who had accidentally left something behind. Then another cow head appeared nearby not long after, followed over the next few months by a series of gruesome packages containing dead goats, chickens, rats, fish, lambs and even a tortoise, according to the Sacramento Bee.

In most cases, the carcasses being left around California’s capital city are headless, but strangely blood free, aside from one instance in which a package contained bowls of what was described as “bloody oatmeal,” the Bee reported.

Since the first cow head was discovered in December, authorities have logged at least a dozen instances of mutilated animals being found around the city, often near train tracks, according to NBC affiliate KCRA.

The killings almost always involve livestock, and never cats and dogs, investigators say.

In March, the Humane Society offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the mutilations.

“These animals were mutilated and killed for no apparent reason and discarded as though they were trash,” the Humane Society’s Eric Sakach said at the time. “We are hopeful that this reward will bring forward anyone with information about these disturbing crimes.”

But more than six months after the killings began, authorities say they still don’t know who, or what, they’re dealing with.

Gina Knepp, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento Department of Animal Control, told Reuters that some packages have included bloody dollar bills, oil and seeds that are known to be used in some Afro-Caribbean religions.

And yet, she admits, investigators are stumped.

“It’s bizarre,” Knepp said. “We don’t know if it’s religion; we don’t know if we have a sick individual in our community that simply likes to cut the heads off animals and dump them where people can see them.”

On Monday, the city released surveillance footage that appears to show a woman dropping off bags that included a beheaded goat carcass, as well as red hens, a rat and a catfish.

The woman, who struggled with the weight of the object, can be seen getting out of a white van and dropping off the packages before getting back into the vehicle less than a minute later and driving away.

  

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Fish Are Falling from the Sky in Alaska: Sea Gulls Are picking up Squirmy Fish and Dropping Them in Surprising and Unlikely Places

"The local Value Village store found a live lamprey in their parking lot," ADF&G reported on its Facebook page. "Another resident called and said he found one on his lawn!"

It was surely a scary surprise. Looking more like eels or snakes than regular fish, lampreys don't have scales or fins and can grow to 15 inches long. Instead of jaws, an adult lamprey has a disk-like mouth filled with small, sharp teeth.

Adults clamp their mouths onto other fish, then use their teeth and tongues to rasp through its scales and skin to feed on its blood and fluids. The lamprey releases and drops off after the meal. Some fish die from the attacks, but in many cases they survive, according to the Fish and Game department.

"Commercial and subsistence fishers throughout Alaska are quite familiar with the tell-tale, dime-sized circular scars on salmon and trout that have been fed upon by lampreys." Reportedly, lampreys are a tasty catch in their own right.

Needless to say, the fish is not usually found on land. In fact, most people have never seen the elusive fish up close. Lampreys are born in fresh water, then move to the ocean as adults. They return to their rivers of birth to spawn, including the Chena River, which runs along the south side of Fairbanks.

Wildlife officials believe sea gulls are picking up the squirmy fish there, only to drop them later in surprising and unlikely places. So far, four lamprey have been found on land.

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Northwest Native American Tribes' Annual Lamprey Harvest at a Rushing, 40-Foot Waterfall About 15 Miles South of Portland

Oregon City, Oregon - They dove into the cold waters, emerging with writhing, eel-like fish in hand and thrusting them into nets.

Thus began Northwest Native American tribes' annual lamprey harvest at a rushing, 40-foot waterfall about 15 miles south of Portland.

The jawless, gray fish are a traditional food source for tribal members in the Columbia River Basin, which stretches from the Oregon coast to Canada and into Idaho, Montana and Washington. Lampreys grow to about 2 feet long and are prized for their rich, fatty meat.

On Friday, adults, teens and children from the Umatilla and Warm Springs reservations in Oregon and the Yakama reservation in Washington crawled over slippery rocks and waded through icy pools to reach the lampreys' hiding spots. The fish latch onto rocks in Willamette Falls with their round, toothy mouths.

"Our people have always come here, generation after generation," said Bobby Begay, a Warm Springs tribal member who drove more than a 100 miles to the falls from his village of Celilo.

Begay, 46, has attended the harvest for more than 40 years. He is teaching his children and nephews how to navigate the rocks and where to find the biggest catch.

"The same fishing holes my grandfather showed me, his father and grandfather showed him, and I showed my kids," he said.

Lampreys taste best when roasted over an open fire, Begay said. They also can be dried or frozen for later use. The fish harvested this month will be distributed to tribal elders and used for ceremonial purposes, he said.

In previous generations, lampreys were abundant up and down the Columbia River and its tributaries. Biologists have estimated at least a million once were crossing Bonneville Dam on the Columbia east of Portland.

But their numbers have dwindled over the past 30 years because of the dams and toxins such as pesticides. About 20,000 remain, said Brian McIlraith with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

Willamette Falls is the last place where the fish can be caught by the hundreds.

Tribes have been instrumental in advocating for lamprey restoration, and the government has started paying attention. That's because lampreys also offer an alternate food source for sea lions and other predators that otherwise would be munching on threatened salmon.

Tribes have received funding and run research and recovery projects. They truck lampreys past dams and have pushed for construction of ramps to help the fish navigate the structures.

They're also looking at breeding lampreys in a hatchery, but that's not the preferred method, said tribal elder Donnie Winishut Sr., who observed the harvest to assure safety.

"We would rather see them grow in a natural way," Winishut said. "It's good to see the young people coming to the falls and learning our tradition, and I hope they can continue coming here to catch the fish."

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Floating ‘Wheelchairs’ Like These Help Sick Fish with Buoyancy Problems Stay Upright

This is the most adorable animal wheelchair we’ve ever seen. An image has surfaced of a goldfish in a sling, which people are calling a ‘goldfish wheelchair,’ designed to keep her afloat and upright.

‘Fish wheelchairs’ (or slings or buoys – call them what you will) like these are used to help fish swim upright while they recover from swim bladder infections that make it difficult for them to do so on their own. 

Green peas can help solve buoyancy issues related to constipation, but infected swim bladders or other issues may require specialized medication. Always consult your vet!

Using a simple cork, this owner saved his fish’s life

Floating ‘wheelchairs’ like these help sick fish stay upright

Swim bladder infections or constipation can make it hard or impossible to swim with balance

There are professional veterinary versions, too!

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Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Determined That Unlike Other Fish, Opah Generate Heat as They Swim

In a discovery that defies conventional biology, a big fish that lives deep in the Pacific Ocean has been found to be warm blooded, like humans, other mammals and birds.

Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determined that unlike other fish, opah generate heat as they swim and distribute the warmth throughout their entire disc-shaped bodies by special blood vessels. Special "counter-current heat exchangers" in their gills minimize heat loss, allowing the deepwater predators to keep their bodies several degrees above the water temperature 250 feet down.

"There has never been anything like this seen in a fish's gills before," said biologist Nick Wegner, the lead author.

Though some species of fish can temporarily warm their swim muscles, including tuna and some sharks, "whole-body endothermy" has distinguished mammals and birds from fish and reptiles, which draw heat from their environments.

"The opah appears to produce the majority of its heat by constantly flapping its pectoral fins which are used in continuous swimming," Wegner told Live Science.

His colleague Heidi Dewar told The Washington Post "I think that it's really exciting that we spend so much time studying especially these larger fish to find something that's completely unique and has never been seen before in any fish."

Their team's findings are published in the May 15 issue of Science.

Also known as the moonfish, the opah averages 100 pounds, has a diameter of 3 feet and can grow to up to 6 feet long. While deepwater fish are slow moving because of the cold, the opah's warm-blooded uniqueness results in faster swimming, better vision and quicker responses, giving it an edge in the survival sweepstakes.

"Before this discovery I was under the impression this was a slow-moving fish, like most other fish in cold environments," said Wegner, of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, in La Jolla, Calif. "But because it can warm its body, it turns out to be a very active predator that chases down agile prey like squid and can migrate long distances

Opahs, which don't swim in schools, are regularly caught either by longline fishermen from California to Hawaii to New Zealand seeking tuna or unintentionally in commercial driftnets.

An old fish tale held that opah brought good luck, NOAA says, so fishermen would give the colorful catch away rather than sell it. But times and marketing have changed, and food fetishists are increasing demand for its "rich, tasty meat."

Two years ago, recreational anglers in Southern California caught a 125-pound opah during a rockfish outing. The "mystery fish" put up a 45-minute fight, leading the captain to think it was a shark, GrindTV reported.

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Piranhas Make Interesting Pets: Depending on the Species, Adult Piranhas Can be 12 -16 Inches Long

Piranhas can make interesting pets with their full sets of sharp teeth and their fast and furious attack skills. Keeping piranhas is a bigger commitment than keeping other fish as pets -- they require lots of space, and they can live more than 20 years in captivity. Meanwhile, their food and water temperature needs are rather simple to accommodate.

Room to Move
Piranhas can seem cute when they're small and hiding among tank decorations much of the day, but they don't stay small. Depending on the species, adult piranha can be 12 to 16 inches long. They come from river environments and live best in large tanks -- a 100-gallon tank suits a single adult piranha; add 20 gallons for each additional piranha. Red-bellied piranhas tend to school in the wild, so you can likely keep a few in the same tank, although they might attack each other at some point. If you're keeping a black piranha as a pet, house him alone -- he's just as likely to eat another piranha as the dinner you provide him.

Ringing the Dinner Bell
Piranhas aren't strictly carnivores, although meat is definitely their meal of choice. If you have aquatic plants in your tank, you might see your fish take a few bites here and there. They also eat fish pellets and flakes occasionally, and they can benefit from the vitamin boost these foods provide. But for most of their meals, plan on feeding protein such as krill, mealworms, earthworms or feeder fish. Unless you raise your own under controlled conditions, thaw frozen versions of these foods or buy live ones from reputable fish food suppliers. Avoid grabbing insects and worms from your yard -- they might have ingested chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, which they can transfer to your piranha. Juvenile fish need to be fed up to four times per day, while sub-adults usually need food about twice a day. Feed mature adults about once every two days.

Home Sweet Tank
Piranhas can survive in a variety of tank conditions, but they prefer a water temperature of between 78 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit and a sandy substrate. Juveniles are especially fond of aquatic plants. In the wild, they spend much of their time hiding from predators until they reach their adult sizes. However, adults enjoy swimming among the plants as well. They also like large pieces of driftwood that offer secluded places to rest.

Keeping It on the Up and Up
Before buying a piranha for a pet, check with your local and state regulations. Many states ban piranhas because people sometimes release them into the wild; introducing non-native species can wreak havoc on your local environment. Non-native species can compete with indigenous ones for food, sometimes endangering the other species' survival. Also, state governments often don't want to risk local fisherman catching piranhas unexpectedly and potentially becoming injured. Even if you have no intention of releasing a pet piranha, always follow local regulations.

Safety First
Owning a piranha means taking a few precautions to ensure he doesn't decide your hand looks tasty for dinner. Even small, a piranha has razor-sharp teeth that can easily bite through your skin; as an adult, he can bite through bone to remove entire fingers. To prevent injury to yourself, never dip your hand in the water to feed a piranha. Also, don't place a hand with a wound, even a small scratch, in or near the top of the water -- the blood might attract the piranha, who swims powerfully enough to jump out of the water. Clean the tank with long tools instead of putting your arm inside, and use a net to catch your fish when it's necessary to move him. He can bite through the net, so don't stabilize him with your hand. Instead, hold a second net under the first to catch the fish if he bites a hole in the first net and falls through. FOLLOW US!

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Authorities Confirm: Fish Caught by Fisherman is a Piranha

A fisherman caught a piranha while fishing on an Arkansas lake last week, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission authorities confirmed.

Roger Headley was fishing on Lake Bentonville Friday when he caught the toothy fish, which he thought was a large perch.

Headley told a television station the fish actually did try to bite him when caught.

“I knew he kind of looked funny, and when I reached down and tried to take the hook out of his mouth, that's when he opened up his mouth and tried to bite me,” he said.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lists piranhas among species of exotic animals that are unlawful to import or transport.

Game and Fish experts told KHBS/KHOG-TV that piranhas, which usually are dumped by former pet owners, are not a threat because they don't last long in Arkansas' cold waters.

Headley said it was luck that the fish wasn't caught by a young child.

“If a little kid would have caught him or something he could have lost a finger or anything,” he said.

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As Spc. Matthew Tattersall Prepares to Leave the U.S. Army, He Wanted to Make His Last Jump as a Paratrooper a Memorable One: So He Took His Pet Siamese Fighting Fish Along for a Selfie

As Spc. Matthew Tattersall prepares to leave the U.S. Army, he wanted to make his last jump as a paratrooper a memorable one.

So last weekend, he jumped with Willy MakeIt, his pet Siamese fighting fish.

A selfie Tattersall took of his fish, not out of water, but out of an airplane, went viral on U.S. Army W.T.F.! Moments, a Facebook community popular among troops.

"The picture got way more popular than I thought it would," Tattersall said.

Although social media users were hooked on the image (the photo got more than 15,500 likes), bosses upstream at Fort Bragg, N.C., thought the move was all wet.

Tattersall, who's assigned to 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, said he's waiting for the final fallout from his aerial actions. Meanwhile, he has written a 1,000-word essay on the importance of airborne safety and professionalism in the Army.

"When it's all said and done, it wasn't all that safe or professional for me to have done that," Tattersall said.

But the 23-year-old, who calls himself "23 years stupid," said he has no regrets.

"It was worth it," he said. "I'm fully willing to embrace any consequences that come of it, and I hope they're lenient."

Tattersall, an infantryman with a deployment to Afghanistan, joined the Army in 2011, shipping to basic training in January 2012.

He will complete his enlistment on May 20.

His last jump was April 11.

"It was a daytime combat jump, but with me being so close to getting out, I didn't have any gear, so it was a Hollywood jump for me," Tattersall said.

He and his friends have long talked about doing something special for their last jump, but "no one actually went through with it," he said.

So when his turn came, "I wanted to make it awesome, and I did just that," he said.

The night before the jump, Tattersall went to Walmart and bought the fish he named Willy MakeIt.

"It's so random to have it be a fish," he said, crediting a friend for the idea.

Tattersall poked holes in the top of a water bottle so Willy could breathe. "I had his little pod ready," he said.

On jump day, no one knew about the plan Tattersall was hatching, he said.

"I kept it in my pocket, and I was as nonchalant as I possibly could be," he said. "I knew the jumpmasters wouldn't have let that fly. I knew none of the NCOs or other leaders would have let me jump. It was completely on me."

As he jumped from the C-17 and fell to the ground under the canopy of his parachute, Tattersall took a quick selfie.

"I had to be quick, but paratroopers get the job done," he said.

"... Conditions were perfect. I made sure I wasn't around anyone where it would have been a hazard," he said. "But I guess that's famous last words for anyone."

Tattersall and Willy MakeIt made it safely to the ground, and the hardy fish earned a middle name.

He's now Willy Did MakeIt, and he has big dreams.

"Willy and I are trying to go to space," Tattersall said.

But first, Tattersall hopes to be able to move on from the Army honorably. "I have big hopes and big plans for the future," said Tattersall, who aims to start college in the fall.

"I'm proud to be a paratrooper. I wouldn't change a thing about it."

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According to Researchers at Australia's Murdoch University, Dumping Your Pet Goldfish in a Local Lake Can Cause Serious Ecological Sabotage

As tragic as it may be to watch Bubbles roam around the tank with nothing but a plastic treasure chest for entertainment, the truth is he wasn't meant to be in a bigger pond.

According to researchers at Australia's Murdoch University, giving in to your temptation to set him free in a local lake won't just leave you without a pet — it'll kick start some serious ecological sabotage. As revealed in a study published by their Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, "introduced freshwater fishes are one of the major global threats to aquatic biodiversity."

And this isn't just some fish story. When dumped into a larger environment, those innocent little koi or goldfish grow at an exponential rate, introduce parasites that harm other species, and have the potential to decimate an ecosystem.

"They are eating up the food resources and using up the habitat that our native fish would otherwise be using,"research fellow Jeff Cosgrove told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Even worse? They can be "extremely difficult to eradicate," says Cosgrove. In other words, they're not going belly-up anytime soon.

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Washington University of Rowing Team Surprised by Flying Asian Carp

The scene was Creve Coeur Lake outside of St. Louis, and the Washington University of rowing team, were out practicing on the lake. As the boat got near the dock, the splashing started, and suddenly a swarm of Asian Carp emerged from the water and went on the attack, some even got into the boat.

One member Devin Patel, described the moment of terror: "The fish was flopping on my legs. They were so slippery that I couldn't get a grip on them." He screamed to a teammate, Yoni David, "get them off me!"

Fortunately, no one was hurt during the ordeal, but the strong smell of fish lingered afterward.



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Little Boy Says Heartbreaking Goodbye to Pet Goldfish

Alberta, Canada  - It can be hard to say goodbye to your best friend – especially when you have to flush him down the toilet.

In a scene that is probably familiar to those of us who owned pet fish when we were young, a little Alberta boy’s heartbreaking goodbye to his goldfish has become a viral video hit.

Spirit River, Alberta’s Brooke Geherman originally posted the video to her Facebook and YouTube channels this past March showing her young son, Kowen, saying goodbye to his dearly departed goldfish.

Kowen bids goodbye to the fish in question, named “Top”, with a few kisses before committing his body to the water.

But it’s his reaction once the fish has been flushed that’s truly heartbreaking, as the tearful boy shares a hug with his mom.

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Someone Dumped Four or Five Pet Goldfish in a Boulder Lake About Two Years Ago: They Have Now Multiplied to Over 3,000 to 4,000 Fish

Colorado wildlife officials say they believe someone dumped four or five pet goldfish in a Boulder lake about two years ago, and they have now multiplied to over 3,000 to 4,000 fish.

Because the goldfish are a non-native species, they threaten Teller Lake #5's entire aquatic ecosystem, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill told ABC News today.

"Dumping your pets into a lake could bring diseases to native animals and plants as well as out-compete them for resources," Churchill said. "Everything can be affected. Non-native species can potentially wipe out the fishery as we've put it together."

Wildlife officials are seeking information on anyone who may have released the goldfish into the lake, she said.

CPW is currently considering two solutions -- electroshocking the fish or draining the lake.

"With electroshocking, you go in the boat and stun the fish to paralyze and collect them," Churchill said, adding that the shock doesn't kill the fish. "The fish could also be collected if the lake is drained."

Either way, wildlife officials will likely take them to a raptor rehabilitation center, where the fish will be used for feeding, Churchill said.

Although a few residents have expressed interest in collecting the goldfish to keep them as pets, Churchill said she doesn't want to encourage the practice.

"I'm going to talk to Boulder County, who owns the lake to see what they think, but I don't want to send the message that collecting fish for personal fun is okay," Churchill said. FOLLOW US!

A Team of Veterinarians in Scotland Performed a Set of Operations on Pet Goldfish That Cost Nearly $750

Fife, Scotland - A team of vets from Inglis Veterinary Hospital, performed an extremely tricky operation - removing the eye of “Star” a pet goldfish. They also removed a lump off his aquarium partner “Nemo”, his best friend and bowl buddy.

The difficult surgery involved an exotic consultant surgeon, a vet keeping the goldfish under anaesthetic and a nurse monitoring their heart rates. The two operations cost the owner nearly $750, but she believes they were absolutely worth it. Star came into the Gordon family after a being won at the local fair for pocket change.

Star, was won at a fairground stall 12 years ago, had to get a blind, cancerous eye removed.

The operation was carried out on the six-inch fish at Inglis’ 24-hour hospital by exotic animals expert Brigitte Lord.

She said: “This is a highly specialist field, using anaesthetic on a goldfish carries a very high risk, and I'm delighted for the owner that everything went well and the owners are happy.”

“The financial value of a goldfish may be quite small but I think the fact that someone should have paid that much for an operation reflects the true value of the bond between pets and humans.”

During the operations, the vets used Doppler ultrasound equipment to listen through earphones to pulse sounds in order to evaluate Star's blood flow. To keep the fish asleep throughout the procedure it was syringed with oxygenated water with anaesthetic in it.

After the operation, Star was delicately held in a bucket of oxygenated water and, with its mouth kept open, was gently moved (mimicking the swimming action and allowing water to flow over the gills) for around eight minutes before it effectively came back to life. Nemo had more straightforward surgery to remove a lump on him too.

Star and Nemo are kept in Janie Gordon's home in Dollar, but are owned by her 21-year-old daughter Abby, a student in Glasgow.

 “I know it seems like a lot of money to spend on an operation for a goldfish but what was the alternative? I think we've a social responsibility to look after our pets and I know my daughter would have been distraught if anything had happened to the goldfish.” said Janie.

Janie didn’t want Star to be lonely so had bought another fish in a pet shop after her daughter won him by throwing a ping-pong ball into a goldfish bowl. Both Star and his lifelong companion, Nemo, are now over their buddy surgery and happily reunited - holding pride of place in a tank in Janie's kitchen.

“Star is fine,” said Janie. “He’s swimming about happily and the vets have shown me how to give antibiotics too”.

“I probably couldn't have chosen a better vets. I'm not sure anyone else would have attempted it.” said Janie.

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