July 2018
As the spring progresses and Doñana’s temporary wetlands progressively dry up, many fish species migrate upstream and downstream - seeking refuge in permanent waters to survive the summer drought. One of them is the goldfish (Carassius auratus), a species native to East Asia but already naturalized across all Spanish catchments and relatively abundant in Doñana. In a video, filmed on July 6th 2018(https://youtu.be/7e-AltOzFX0), hundreds of goldfish were recorded jumping to cross the Ajolí ford as they moved up the Partido Stream. An image that reminds us the importance of preventing the introduction of exotic species as, once established, their eradication often poses an unsurmountable challenge.