Goldfish Survives “The Flush” And Grows To Be An Unbelievable Size

Goldfish
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper/Facebook
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper/Facebook

In late June 2019, a massive massive goldfish was discovered swimming around in the Niagara River in New York. It is assumed that the fish that was once a household pet, yet managed to survive, despite being flushed down the toilet.

The non-profit Buffalo Niagara Waterkeep (BNW) couldn't believe their eyes when they spotted the fish in the river's Black Rock Canal and made sure to document it with a picture. An employee of BNW, Marcus Rosten, can be seen holding the fish which measure to be an incredible 14 inches.

Even more impressive, in 2013, an even bigger goldfish was discovered that was over 2 feet long and weighed an unbelievable 4 pounds. Goldfish are a member of the carp family originating in eastern Asia, usually only growing to be 1 to 2 inches, and at most 6 in captivity.

However, when they are naturally released into streams or rivers, and not flushed down the toilet, they can grow to be over a foot long. Goldfish sightings in New York can be dated back to 1841 although today they can be found all over the state. This is mostly due to people releasing them into the wild or escaping from bait buckets.

Goldfish released in the area can surprisingly survive year-round, which allows them to grow so big over time. They also reproduce incredibly fast with their numbers growing from a few to a few thousand in just a few years if left alone.