- Many people keep goldfish as easy, small home pets.
- Some owners release goldfish into local lakes or ponds.
- Released goldfish grow large quickly and change lake life.
- They stir up mud and make water very cloudy.
- Small animals like snails and tiny plankton fall rapidly.
- Native fish lose weight and become less healthy over time.
- These changes happened in both poor and rich waters.
- Putting a pet goldfish in nature is harmful and risky.
Difficult words
- release — let an animal go freeReleased
- owner — person who has a pet or animalowners
- native — animal or plant from the local area
- plankton — very small animals and plants in water
- harmful — causing damage or bad results
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you have or want a goldfish?
- Would you put a pet fish in a lake?
- Have you seen cloudy water in a lake or pond?
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