Texas Parks and Wildlife Department cautions against the dumping of invasive fish

Is your pet fish getting a little too touchy touchy or aggressive with others? Or both? Well, dumping it into a lake or river in Texas is definitely a no-no.

Recently, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) issued a call to action after finding an invasive fish in a Texas river.

This particular fish was a Peacock Cichlid found primarily in South America. How it wound up in a central Texas river is no coincidence.

Go Fish! Improper Dumping in Texas

This is not the first time that Texas has experienced an influx of non-native fish as, just a few years ago, researchers from Texas A&M recovered over 400 invasive catfish from the San Marcos River.

When pet fish from aquariums are introduced suddenly to a new environment such as Texas lakes and rivers, they can disturb or destroy the ecosystem. In this case, the catfish were digging burrows and causing bank destabilization that ruined the river’s infrastructure.

How to Properly Get Rid of Your Aquarium Friends

According to texasinvasives.org, you have three options:

1. Find new owners who are willing to give your fish a home, whether those are friends, family or an interested business.
2. Sell or trade for cash or another fish that better suits your needs.
3. Humanely send them to the big river in the sky.

Ways to Humanely Euthanize Your Fish

NEVER flush your fish down the toilet. This can slowly kill it or cause damage to your septic system.

Options for euthanasia include a bath with FDA-approved drugs or clove oil.

Another option is more… physical. You could roleplay as a medieval executioner and, you know, ‚pop goes the weasel‘ your fish’s head.

In conclusion, it is important to be responsible pet owners and properly dispose of unwanted fish. Dumping them into Texas lakes and rivers can have serious consequences for the local ecosystem. By following the guidelines provided by texasinvasives.org, you can ensure that your fish are rehomed or euthanized in a humane and responsible manner. Let’s all do our part to protect Texas’s natural habitats and wildlife.