The Hills Police Area Command said the alleged “goldfish gobbler” sparked “concern” which “led to a swift response from the community” after he visited the shop on Victoria Avenue in Castle Hill on Sunday afternoon.
Officers said the man returned to the store a short time later and paid for the fish.
Police opened an investigation into the incident and the 20-year-old man assisted police with their enquiries.
He was later charged with committing an act of cruelty upon an animal and behaving in an offensive manner.
He is due to face Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday, August 29.
