Extremely widespread species found throughout the Murray Darling
Basin, the Gulf Drainages, Southern Western Australia and even
in the Cooper Creek in South Australia's far northeast. The
Goldfish was imported into Australia in the 1860's as an ornamental
fish and was found in the wild sometime after. It has the capacity
to survive in extremely degraded habitats and therefore does
well in slow waters of high temperature and low oxygen content.
It also has the capacity to feed on a variety of foods including
plant materials, organic detritus, small aquatic insects and
other animals. Sometimes found to hybridise with Carp (Cyprinus
carpio).
This
species is a threat due to direct competition, predation and
because ornamental fish released from home aquariums may contain
diseases with the capacity to affect native species. This
threat is even more serious within the context of the urban
environment, because it is in the waterways of urban areas
that aquarium fish are likely to be released.
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