Tuesday 5 March 2013

Tropical Livebearers in Alberta?!

People are bound to have some feelings of attachment to the place where they grew up, but I believe my love of Alberta is more than just sentimental. I am lucky to have a safe place to live, a high standard of living, and access to a number of interesting places to visit when I’m not tied up with work or school. One particular perk of living here is our proximity to the Rocky Mountains, and along with them; Banff National Park.
Cougars, Bears, Bighorn sheep, and a number of other interesting animals can be found in Banff, but there is one thing you might not be expecting to run into: tropical fish.
How did tropical fish end up in Banff?

These little Mollies, Swordtails, and other fish have two things to thank for their residence in this popular destination. Hot springs, and humans.
Sulfur Mountain is the source for a natural hot spring leading to Cave and Basin National Historic Site. The springs were originally used to feed a bathhouse in the late 1800's, which was later turned into an outdoor pool (intermittently closed and reopened from the 1970’s-90’s.) The springs are no longer used, partially due to the presence of an endangered snail found only in this area, but the effects of human intervention can still be seen from the wooden walkways which just out over the water downstream.
After the 1920’s, aquarium enthusiasts illegally introduced several species of tropical fish to the springs, a few of which have continued to thrive in the warm and nutrient rich waters. Sadly, this introduction has been cited by Parks Canada as the cause for the extinction of the Banff Longnose Dace which once thrived in the area.
While it can be fun and exciting to see fish from exotic places in your own home, this serves as an important reminder of the dangers of releasing domestic fish where they don’t belong. If you find yourself in Banff or the area, I’d definitely recommend stopping in at Cave and Basin. You can see an endangered snail found nowhere else in the world, learn about the history of the park, and observe some wild aquarium fish going about their business in a unique environment.


<>< Swim on! ><>

*Information courtesy of Parks Canada

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