Did you know that the goldfish are one of the most common type of pets in the world? They were one of the first fish species to be kept in ponds by humans. By nature, goldfish are social creatures and prefer to live with other goldfish. Many people think that goldfish are pets for someone who doesn't have much time for pet care. The lifespan of your goldfish depend upon how much care you provide goldfish. If cared for properly your goldfish could live for many years! Goldfish start off small, but grow to be quite large, sometimes even a foot long, if you take good care of them. First time goldfish keepers usually buy a small tank or bowl to house their goldfish, only to discover that they need to keep buying ever-larger replacement tanks. You should buy a large enough tank at the beginning. You should provide a 20 to 30 gallon tank for your fish. Then add at least 10 gallons to that volume for each additional goldfish you might add. They grow large, excrete a lot of waste and need room to swim in order to be happy! Food: Goldfish like a diet of flakes, pellets, wafers and sticks Goldfish Facts: Do goldfish have ears? They have internal ear bones called an otolith that can feel vibrations. Avoid tapping on the glass since it will stress or even kill them. A goldfish can survive in an outdoor pond where water temperatures dip down below 40*F (5*C). Some ponds might even freeze over during the winter and the goldfish still survive through to the spring.
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West Medical Lake, Washington - The West Medical Lake has been overrun with goldfish over the past few years, and now they're having an adverse effect on the native trout. Washington Fish and Wildlife stock West Medical Lake with thousands of baby trout every year. Letting nature run its course and letting the fish grow. But sometimes they run into problems. “This works really well until an undesirable species gets put in the lake and established,” said Randy Osborne, a Fisheries Biologist with Washington Fish and Wildlife. Osborne says once these goldfish become established their population explodes. They take food sources and oxygen in the water, which directly impacts the trout. Goldfish or Koi in West Medical Lake is not something new. Fish and wildlife have been battling this problem for more than two decades. "If they get caught doing that and get prosecuted, they could be responsible for the restitution of fixing the problem that they created," added Osborne. Fixing this problem won't be cheap. Fish and Wildlife said it will take $150,000 to rehab the entire lake. That's money most people don't have floating around. Fish and Wildlife Field Sergeant Mike Sprecher says sometimes pet owners think they're doing right by their fish by letting them go free. But the good deed is bad news for Mother Nature. “The good deed of somebody here locally saying, 'Well I can't keep this anymore, I don't want to keep this anymore' and they let it go in the lake. I call it bucket biology," added Sprecher. Fish and Wildlife tell KHQ they have submitted a proposal to the state with hopes to rehab the lake in October 2018.
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A team of divers rush to save a group of four trapped whale sharks in this visually stunning video. It begins with a scene depicting a team of divers rushing to the site where the four whale sharks have found themselves trapped in a fishermen’s nets. Whale sharks are gentle giants which are famous for being the largest extant fish species. The whale shark is one of three known filter feeders. As they swim, plankton, krill, among other nutrients, are caught in their gaping mouths. To read more on this story, click here:Divers Spot 4 Giants Trapped in Fishing Net—When They Get Right Up Close, it’s Stunning!
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Largely thanks to the critically-acclaimed documentary Blackfish, which exposed the shocking mistreatment and abuse captive cetaceans endure at marine parks like SeaWorld, the business has seen ticket sales drop. Attendance at the parks dropped another 5.5 percent in 2017, after dropping 3.3 percent the year before, indicating that the influence of Blackfish is still spreading. However, SeaWorld told investors that profits were not affected by the widespread criticism brought about by the film, fraudulent claims which have resulted in an investigation of the business by the Department of Justice. And SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby stepped down after failing to clean up their tarnished image, and other SeaWorld heads have since done the same. And if any more proof is needed that SeaWorld is sinking, SeaWorld San Diego has now reported half a million fewer visitors in 2017 than in 2016. This refreshing news is a hopeful sign that the public is becoming increasingly aware of the dangers and cruelty involved in keeping cetaceans in captivity. Captive orcas like those exploited by SeaWorld are violently ripped away from their close-knit family pods in the wild and tossed in bathtub-like enclosures to pose as spectacles for noisy crowds in exchange for food. Life in captivity for these highly-intelligent animals leads to extreme mental and emotional trauma, commonly known as zoochosis, a serious psychological disorder exhibited by compulsive and destructive behavior like incessant swaying, head bobbing, chewing, self-mutilation, and even suicide attempts. Calves born in captivity are immediately taken away from their mothers, leading to tremendous anguish and ear-piercing cries from the mothers for weeks. Life in captivity also equates to broken and missing teeth and collapsed dorsal fins, and the inadequate conditions at parks can lead to abnormal and aggressive behavior, which is dangerous for the animals and people alike. To read more on this story, click here:It's Working! SeaWorld Is Sinking as Attendance Drops by Half a Million Visitors
The sea slug is also commonly referred to as a sea cucumber, mainly because of the of the sea slug's shape and the fact that it is normally found on coral or rocks usually being very still, making it look like a type of aquatic vegetable. The sea slug is a herbivorous animals and feeds on plankton and decaying matter on the ocean floor, along with grazing on the rocks and coral reefs for algae. By munching on the decomposing plant matter on the ocean floor, the sea slug is of great benefit to every marine environment where the sea inhabits. Due to their motionless nature, sea slugs are often very exposed and are therefore popular prey for a wide variety of predatory animals in the oceans. Crabs, lobsters, fish and even humans are among the animals that prey on the fleshy sea slug. Some species of sea slug are able to protect themselves from danger by wrapping their tentacles around potential predators, so that the predator is unable to harm them. This only applies however to the species of sea slug that actually have tentacles, others are completely defenseless. The sea slug is often an interesting addition to a salt-water aquarium and can be useful in keeping the algae levels at a minimum. Although the sea slug leads a relatively motionless existence, they are an important factor in any marine environment. There are known to be thousands of different sea slug species found around the world and it is estimated that there are many more species of sea slug that have not yet been discovered. Sea slugs can range in size from just a few millimetres to more than 30 centimetres in length and can be found in a variety of colours and shapes. The sea slug is a hermaphrodite, meaning that the sea slug has both male and female reproductive organs. Sea slugs release eggs into the water in ribbon-like sticky clusters which can contain thousands of eggs but usually much less. The eggs are fertilized and the sea slug larvae (the baby sea slugs) soon develop and become bigger, after hatching from their sticky eggs. Sea slugs are not only harvested for food by humans but are also used in traditional medicines particularly in the far east as the extracts from the sea cucumbers are said to have healing properties.
Did you know that the goldfish are one of the most common type of pets in the world? They were one of the first fish species to be kept in ponds by humans. By nature, goldfish are social creatures and prefer to live with other goldfish. Many people think that goldfish are pets for someone who doesn't have much time for pet care. The lifespan of your goldfish depend upon how much care you provide goldfish. If cared for properly your goldfish could live for many years! Goldfish start off small, but grow to be quite large, sometimes even a foot long, if you take good care of them. First time goldfish keepers usually buy a small tank or bowl to house their goldfish, only to discover that they need to keep buying ever-larger replacement tanks. You should buy a large enough tank at the beginning. You should provide a 20 to 30 gallon tank for your fish. Then add at least 10 gallons to that volume for each additional goldfish you might add. They grow large, excrete a lot of waste and need room to swim in order to be happy! Food:Goldfish like a diet of flakes, pellets, wafers and sticks Goldfish Facts: Do goldfish have ears? They have internal ear bones called an otolith that can feel vibrations. Avoid tapping on the glass since it will stress or even kill them. A goldfish can survive in an outdoor pond where water temperatures dip down below 40*F (5*C). Some ponds might even freeze over during the winter and the goldfish still survive through to the spring. Exterior Parts of A Goldfish
Ormond Beach, Florida - A sheriff's office on Florida's east coast was given a heads up Tuesday, Nov. 7, of five pieces of meat found at a dog park. Upon inspecting the meat, it was discovered fish hooks were embedded in small meatballs. At least one dog was seen eating the meat at the Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park, according to a Facebook post by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office Sheriff's Deputy Donna Bowen visited the park and found an additional contaminated meatball. Finding no others, she reviewed them with the person who found the first batch and noticed they were cold and sweating, like they were frozen and sitting in the sun. The deputy searched the park -- plus an adjacent area -- and found no other meatballs. The county's animal control called an area veterinary hospital, which did an X-ray on the dog but found no hooks inside the animal. Police aren't sure who placed the meat, however, Bowen responded to a similar report at the same park two years ago.
An Alberta fisherman is reminding people to properly dispose of garbage after catching a fish that had been trapped in a drink ring for so long the fish had grown around the piece of plastic. Adam Turnbull — originally from Sarnia, Ont., but now living in southeastern Alberta — works as a cabinet maker in Medicine Hat to support his real passion: fishing. The avid angler says he fishes almost daily, all around Alberta but mainly close to home. He’s caught all kinds of fish before, but one he reeled in on Saturday, Oct. 28, from the South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat, left him shaking his head. “I was fishing at Strathcona Park when I hooked the fish,” Turnbull, 28, told Global News. “It fought like every other fish and then I saw the wound.” To read more on this story, click here:Alberta Angler Catches Fish Nearly Cut in Half by Plastic Powerade Wrapper
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I love animals, and I love attending adoption events. I had the pleasure of attending the Humane Rescue Alliance’s ‘Clear the Shelter’ event on August 19, 2017. I really enjoyed watching the potential adopters interacting with the animals. 154 animals were adopted that day! While this year’s event is over…that doesn’t mean that you can’t give a homeless animal a loving forever home. I love ‘Clearing the Shelters’ events because it allows room for other homeless animals to come in receive treatment, if needed, and a chance to find their forever homes.
Octopuses are Marine animals, that live and breath underwater, so at low tide one would expect them to be imprisoned in rocky pools. This extraordinary species found in Northern Australia is like no other Octopus, and land is no obstacle when hunting for Crabs.
If you thought you were enduring a “summer of hell” commute, consider the repulsive mess created on an Oregon highway on Thursday in a collision of modern transportation and prehistoric fish. Picture the scene from the 1984 “Ghostbusters” movie in which Dr. Peter Venkman, played by Bill Murray, complains about being “slimed.” Then multiply that a thousandfold, and you’ll get some idea of what happened on a coastal highway in Depoe Bay, Ore., about 100 miles west of Portland. A truck hauling 7,500 pounds of hagfish, also known as slime eels, was traveling on Highway 101 around noon, transporting the fish to be exported to South Korea, where some diners consider them a delicacy. Traffic was halted for road construction, but the truck driver was unable to stop. The truck’s load shifted, causing one of the containers carrying the hagfish to “fly across the highway,” the Oregon State Police said. To read more on this story, click here:Chain-Reaction Crash With Minor Injuries, Except for the Slime Eels
All adoptable animals at shelters and in foster available at discounted fee this weekend (Saturday and Sunday). Standard adoption procedures apply. WHAT: Discounted (50%) adoption fees to celebrate National Adopt-a-Shelter-Pet Day. Standard adoption procedures apply. WHO: All available animals for adoption, including dogs, cats, puppies, kittens and small animals. WHEN: Saturday, April 29th and Sunday, April 30th Noon – 7 p.m.
WHERE: Humane Rescue Alliance Pet Adoption Centers 1201 New York Ave., NE 77 Oglethorpe Street, NW Washington, DC 20002 Washington, DC 20011 202-576-6664 202-726-2556
About the Humane Rescue Alliance: The Humane Rescue Alliance (formerly the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League) has protected and served the animals of the community for more than 145 years and serves more than 60,000 animals annually. The broad range of programs offered include: rescue and adoption, humane law enforcement, low-cost veterinary services, animal care and control, behavior and training, spay-neuter services, humane education, and many others. The organization is dedicated to ensuring the safety and welfare of all animals, bringing people and animals together, and working with all communities to support these relationships. HRA is based in Washington, DC, the only major urban area in the country that has all of its animal protection programs and services unified in one organization, making the Humane Rescue Alliance a model for the nation.
Sunday, November 6 will be “Pay What You Want Day” at the National Aquarium. The day is a continuing effort to provide access to the Aquarium for Maryland residents. The day allows visitors to name their own price for aquarium admission. “We are committed to connecting our local residents to the aquatic world and our conservation mission,” said John Racanelli, National Aquarium CEO in a statement. “’Pay What You Want Day’ is part of a series of programs that ensure our communities have the opportunity to visit the Aquarium and be inspired by their 20,000 aquatic neighbors,” he said. In the past, the National Aquarium welcomed more than 7,500 guests to each of the previous Pay What You Want Days. The day is supported by T. Rowe Price, who is the Aquarium’s official community engagement partner. “’Pay What You Want Day’ enables families across Maryland with any budget size to visit and engage with the variety of species living in the National Aquarium,” said Renee Christoff, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at T. Rowe Price. To further help with the cost of a visit to the Aquarium, their official partner parking facilities are pleased to offer $10 parking to those attending “Pay What You Want Day” 2016. Guests can bring proof of their Aquarium visit to the LAZ Inner Harbor Garage at 100 S. Gay Street or Lockwood Parking at 124 Market Place for the discounted parking. For anyone who can’t make “Pay What You Want Day,” the Aquarium also has other opportunities for discounted admission. There are year-round Half-Price Friday Nights (Friday nights after 5 p.m.) and discounted Maryland Mornings for Maryland state residents visiting before noon Sundays through Fridays now through February 28. There are also Dollar Days coming in December. For more information about The National Aquarium and “Pay What You Want Day,” visit their website.
Sea Isle City, New Jersey - Bob Schoelkopf, founder of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, said it was a young male, about 33 feet long, and probably weighs about 20 tons. There were no visible signs of injury or trauma. Schoelkopf said one or two whales beach themselves along the Jersey coast each year; this is the second of 2016. The whale was first spotted before noon, floating offshore around Ocean City. It eventually washed onto the beach at Sea Isle near 20th Street around 2 p.m. A crowd of about 100 people had gathered on the beach behind yellow police tape, braving the overwhelming stench to get a glimpse of it. "It’s sad to see such a beautiful animal dead on the beach like this," said Ann Heffer, a vacationer from Exton, Pa. "I’m glad this doesn’t happen every day." Officials with the Stranding Center and the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife were on the scene, said Sea Isle City spokeswoman Katherine Custer. A necropsy will be performed on the beach Saturday morning to learn how it died. Until then, officials brought in heavy machinery to draw the body further up the beach and away from waves that could drag it out to sea again. A heavy-duty chain tied around its tail snapped under the weight of the animal. Crews had to shorten the length of the chain and add a second, canvas strap to successfully drag it up the beach. No one was injured when the chain snapped. The necropsy should take about eight hours, Schoelkopf said. Humpbacks can live up to 50 years, Schoelkopf said, but this one was a juvenile.
A father and son fishing at a New Jersey lake may be lucky their bodies still have all their pieces after catching a fish called 'the Nutcracker' that is more commonly seen in the Amazon. Ron Rossi, from the Philadelphia suburb of Delran, was out with his son Frank at a man-made body of water when they hooked what they thought was a piranha. However, the rare species in Swedes Lake was actually a pacu, an omnivorous fish native to Brazil that has human-like teeth and has been reported to eat the testicles of swimmers and fishermen. The Rossis realized the bizarre find when they went home and researched the animal after being confused at its lack of sharp, piranha chompers, they told WPVI. Department of Environmental Protection officials said the South American fish are sometimes kept as pets, who may have dumped the pacu into the lake. The species can grow up to four feet long and uses its molar-like teeth to crush food that falls into the Amazon River. Many pet owners mistakenly think they are piranhas when they purchase the more famous species's cousin, which can grow up to 55lbs. Given the fish's worldwide popularity, it turns out that the Rossis did not make the surprise catch of the century, or even of the last couple years. A 10-inch pacu was caught in northern New Jersey in September 2013, followed by 17-incher in Washington state, a 20-inch specimen in southern Illinois two months later and a 14-inch pacu in Michigan's Lake St Clair last summer.
The fish's worldwide popularity has seen them spread far from their Brazilian homeland, with the fish being found in Paris, Scandinavia and Oceania. In Papua New Guinea, where the fish is known as the 'Ball Cutter', a member of the species is thought to have contributed to two men's death from blood loss after it castrated them. Scientists in Denmark said that reports of pacu eating genitalia were 'overblown' after they issued a joking warning to male swimmers to beware following a sighting of the fish, according to National Geographic. Some wildlife experts worry that the introduction of pacu into lakes such as the one in New Jersey may endanger local fauna. However, pacu cannot survive in colder water and the DEP urged owners of the fish to 'humanely destroy' it rather than throwing it into nearby waters.
A New Jersey man was surprised when he thought he caught a piranha, but the fish turned out to be a pacu, an Amazonian fish famous for eating men's private parts.
The Swedes Lake catch was the latest in an increasing number of pacu being found outside of their native habitat.
Fisherman Ron Rossi (pictured) researched the animal with his son, and environmental officials said that it most likely came from a pet owner who dumped it in the man-made lake
Pacu have spread around the world from their tropical home and been captured in places in northern Europe such as Scandinavia. Above left, a fish captured in Paris was about a foot long
