California scientists debate risks, rewards of mosquitofish
Government officials warding off deadly diseases often praise the lowly mosquitofish as a public health messiah. But some environmentalists have dubbed it the “plague minnow” and the “fish destroyer.” Today, nearly a century after the finger-sized fish was first introduced to California in a Sacramento lily pond, it’s arguably the most ubiquitous freshwater fish in the world. But the mosquitofish also ranks among the world’s worst invasive species. Balancing the pest-control prowess and ecological destruction of the fish, nearly every mosquito and vector control district in California, including in Marin, now deploys the creature with varying strategies.