General Description: Goldfish (Carassius auratus) are small to medium sized fish. Well named, Goldfish come in colors that range from golden red-orange to white. There are some 150 varieties of goldfish, but there are two basic body forms: torpedo-shaped and egg-shaped. Goldfish grow to about 8 inches. Goldfish lack barbels (whisker-like projections at the corner of the mouth and lower lip), which separates them from Carp. Carp tend to grow much larger.

Family: Cyprinidae (Minnows)

Favored Habitat: Aquariums and backyard ponds.

Where to Find: Ponds in parks and residential areas around Las Vegas, ponds at Corn Creek, and other cool-water ponds around Las Vegas.

Comments: These are aquarium fish kept as pets by millions of people. Unfortunately, people sometimes release their unwanted pets in natural springs and ponds. In these places, they eat algae, other fish, tadpoles, spring snails, and aquatic insects.

Never release non-native fish into local ponds and springs. While it might feel good to "free Willy," these non-native fish damage the ecosystem and cause tremendous harm to the native species that rely on rare springs and other water sources in the desert for survival.

Goldfish released in one local pond are causing native frogs to have a hard time breeding because the Goldfish eat their eggs and tadpoles.