Colorado angler helps authorities crack down on gigantic invasive fish: 'Highly unusual'

Colorado authorities recently announced that they've recovered massive invasive fish from a local pond – all thanks to a local fishing enthusiast.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) published a press release about the discovery on Monday. Officials explained that an angler tipped them off to the presence of bighead carp in Jack B. Tomlinson Park in Arvada, Colorado, last week.

"Acting on a tip from the public, CPW aquatic biologists pulled the fish from the pond and checked a neighboring body of water connected by a culvert for the nuisance species," the CPW explained.

Fourteen bighead carp were found in total – and all of them were hefty. All the fish were at least three feet long, and the heaviest was a whopping 46 pounds.

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"Bighead carp, part of the Asian carp family, are not native to Colorado and negatively impact the overall ecosystem as they are prolific eaters," CPW said in a statement. "They feed primarily upon plankton and compete with many native and sport fish species which depend on plankton as a food source."

The freshwater fish have such large appetites that they pose a significant burden to native species.

"Bighead carp are filter feeders and can grow to incredible sizes in both small and large bodies of water," CPW Invasive Species Program Manager Robert Walters explained in a statement. "Once established, these fish can outcompete native Colorado species for food and resources."

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Bighead carp were introduced in 1992 as part of a national study about reducing pond algae, the CPW explained – but even after being removed in 1995, the species persisted.

CPW Northeast Region Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose told Fox News Digital that it's "highly unusual" to find bighead carp in Colorado waters.

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"Anglers should report anything strange they see while fishing to CPW," Van Hoose advised. "This is a good example of what can happen to fish which don’t have any natural predators in the area and an endless supply of food."

"The carp outcompeted any other species in the pond and negatively affected the pond’s overall aquatic health," she added.

In a social media post, CPW joked that "many Jaws jokes were made" about the discovery. The wildlife department also thanked the angler who tipped them off.

"This operation all started with a tip from an angler," CPW District Wildlife Manager for Westminster and Arvada Philip Sorensen said in a press release. "We are grateful when the public reaches out to tell us about invasive species in their neighborhoods. We want to know about the presence of invasive species."

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