Sus Fish Alert: Pond Loach Spotted in Nova Scotia! 🎣

The Tea

Okay, listen up, cuz this is kinda wild. Some egg-bearing female Oriental Weatherfish – aka a pond loach – was caught in Nova Scotia. That's a first for Atlantic Canada, no cap! This little creature is native to eastern Asia, but somehow, it ended up vibing in Canadian waters. Sus, right?

Turns out, the most likely sitch is that someone yeeted it out of their aquarium. Major L move, 'cause now this invasive species could mess with the whole ecosystem. Pond loaches reproduce faster than you can say "sus," and they'll be out here competing with and preying on our native fish. Not the vibe!

For those who don't know, the pond loach is usually brown or dark green with speckles. They got this long, cylindrical body – kinda like an eel – and they rock barbels around their mouth. They're usually around 10-25 cm long and they low-key prefer chill, muddy spots, but they can survive in a bunch of different conditions.

Word is, these fishes have also been spotted in southern British Columbia. So, if you see one, don't just stand there! Report that ish to the aquatic invasive species division, and send 'em pics if you can. Let's keep our waters looking good, bestie!

Releasing aquatic species into non-native waters without the go-ahead is straight up illegal, so don't even think about it.