Invasive fish species reported in Nova Scotia for first time, DFO says

Jenna Banfield · CBC News

· Posted: May 25, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

An invasive food taxon has been recovered successful a tiny waterway northbound of New Germany, N.S., according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

A single egg-bearing Oriental weatherfish, besides known arsenic pond loach, was discovered successful Morgans Falls past month. 

The food originate successful East Asia, and this is the archetypal clip the taxon has been reported successful the Maritimes.

DFO said the food was likely introduced aft being released from an aquarium.

Ken Donnelly, the supervisor of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council, said when an invasive taxon makes its mode into ecosystems, it's often owed to quality activity.

He said pond loach are a fashionable aquarium species and tin origin issues erstwhile released into bodies of h2o the fish aren't known to beryllium in.

"There are bully intentions by radical erstwhile they fto animals spell into the wild," Donnelly said, "but they should never, ne'er bash it. It's conscionable a look for disaster."

Donnelly said releasing a caller taxon tin origin situation demolition and unnecessary competition for nutrient and resources, which successful crook tin trim populations.

Pond loaches are freshwater food described arsenic having an elongated, eel-like body, with a tiny rima that has six to eight barbels, or whiskers. The food are airy brownish to greenish with scattered acheronian speckles and a airy underbelly.

In a statement, DFO said pond loach has besides been reported successful confederate British Columbia, but they are not alert of its presence anywhere other successful Canada.

Unless authorized by law, it's amerciable to merchandise an aquatic taxon into a assemblage of h2o that it's not autochthonal to.