Giant goldfish invade Lake Tahoe

If thousands of dolphins swimming in a super-pod off the coast of San Diego wasn't enough to convince you that marine life is planning its overthrow of humanity, now there are giant goldfish breeding in Lake Tahoe, according to the news station KCRA.

Researchers who comb the lake for non-native species say they've pulled up enormous goldfish, like the kind most people keep in fish tanks. It looks like humans have engineered their own demise: scientists theorize that pet owners are spilling their aquariums into bodies of water, fish and all.

[ Related: Owner provides tiny ‘wheelchair’ for disabled pet goldfish ]

Goldfish have popped up in the past but their numbers appear to be growing, and they're more destructive than they look while they're hiding in the underwater fish tank castle. Goldfish eat underwater plants, which can increase water temperature and threaten the food supplies of native fish, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Their habits create algae and stir the lake bottom, clouding the waters.

Their size conjures an image of tank-bound goldfish dying to spring free so they can grow to astounding lengths. In 2010, a man photographed himself holding what appeared to be a goldfish weighing about 14 kilograms.

The evidence is clear— before long, these orange monsters will be plotting better lives for themselves in mass numbers. So long, and thanks for all the fish food.