Reef and Rivers podcast | From pets to pest fish

Podcast: From pets to pests - ornamental fish gone rogue

SEASON 4 | EPISODE 5

Without understanding life history information like size and lifespan, pet owners are often unprepared and there’s not really many options to rehome fish in Australia.

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They might look pretty – or at least, pretty harmless, but Australia’s pet fish trade can pose a serious threat to our waterways. Once an invasive is established, it makes eradication almost impossible, which means prevention is always better than cure.We’ve already seen a number of pet fish species invade and establish in the Wet Tropics, threatening the survival of native fish by passing on disease and outcompeting for food and habitat. And, it’s not just aquatic species that are impacted – in an extreme case down south, aggressive cichlids have made it impossible for people to swim in a popular local swimming hole!

In this episode we’re joined by freshwater fish biologist Mariah Millington to find out exactly what impact ornamental fish are having on our native species, as well as what we can do to encourage responsible fish ownership.Further informationRead: Managing the biosecurity risk of ornamental aquarium fish in Queensland

Explore: Responsible pet ownership and environmental stewardship