A real fish tail. Giant goldfish swimming in Lake Erie and likely a pond near you

There's an invader lurking in Lake Erie that might surprise you.

In fact there are likely millions of them swimming around in the Great Lakes and Ohio's ponds and wetlands.

And these are not the little fishies of your childhood.

Giant goldfish are happily living in Lake Erie and other bodies of water − much to the chagrin of those charged with keeping these bodies of water clean for native species.

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A recent study in the Journal of Great Lakes Research shed light on the growing problem of goldfish proliferating outside of the proverbial fish bowl.

The study set off some alarm bells and the notion of giant goldfish − some the size of a foot-long Subway sandwich − might be a bit unnerving for fishermen and water sports enthusiast.

How long have goldfish been in Lake Erie?

There have been goldfish in Lake Erie and Ohio's ponds and wetlands for as long as there's been someone in the state looking to unload unwanted ornamental fish or unwanted pets.

Tory Gabriel, extension program leader and fisheries educator for Ohio Sea Grant and Ohio State's Stone Laboratory, said by the best guesstimates goldfish have been swimming in the wild since the 1600s.

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And while that's a long time, Gabriel said, they are considered an invasive species and disrupt things for fish and plant life native to the state.

A study of a aquatic life in a little pond near Oak Harbor, Gabriel said, uncovered "literally thousands of goldfish" in the small body of water.

Just how many are in Lake Erie is hard to track as most fish inventories only look at so-called game fish like walleye and perch.

How did so many goldfish end up in Lake Erie?

This isn't a fish problem.

This is more of a people problem.

Gabriel said the goldfish are ending up in the lake and other bodies of water because folks keep dumping them there.

This is a big no, no.

"We always tell people to never release any pet − even goldfish in the wild," Gabriel said.

Why are goldfish growing so big in the wild?

Unlike a goldfish in is fish bowl, the ones found in the wild are free to eat as much and anytime they want.

Gabriel said in massive bodies of water like Lake Erie this means an endless supply of food.

So the more they eat, he said, the bigger they get.

This is why the goldfish − particularly in Lake Erie − grow to be so large as large as 23 inches long and as heavy as 6 and half pounds.

Why are goldfish a bad thing for Lake Erie?

Goldfish can crowd out native fish and wildlife in a variety of ways.

The biggest problem is like the old Dr. Seuss "one fish, two fish" as there numbers in the wild continue to proliforate.

Another issue is they way they feed.

Like a carp, Gabriel said, they are bottom feeders stirring up sediment making the water murky and ripping out aquatic plant life that other fish rely on.

If there are so many goldfish in Lake Erie, why haven't I seen one?

Aside from Lake Erie, Gabriel said, goldfish can likely be found in just about every lake, pond and wetland in the state.

Unless they still have their shiny gold sheen, they can be hard to spot.

Over time and as they continue to spawn, Gabriel said, they tend to lose their bright appearance and instead turn a dullish brown.

And since they are foragers, they are not apt to bite on the hook of a fisherman and remain pretty much out of sight.

For more about Ohio's evasive aquatic species, ohioseagrant.osu.edu/products/4j7wz/ohio-field-guide-to-ais

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Unwanted pet goldfish are proliferating in Lake Erie and Ohio's ponds