by Dr D. M. Ford
ISHKEEPING is a fascinating hobby and freight for the German National Airlines because of the variety of forms it can in the I930S included 20,000 tropical Neon take. The equipment is readily available to tetras in its cargo. set up in the home anything from just a The gestation time of fish is short; they goldfish bowl to a complete coral reef in produce many progeny and genetic changes miniature. A garden can include a simple are frequent. In the wild, such "sports" soon pool for a few goldfish or a complex system fall prey to predators, but breeders of tropical of waterfalls and fountains with underwater fish are able to isolate and interbreed the lighting. The pond may be part of a complete mutations. Hence the change of fishes from water garden or a formal design that main- wild to domestic species has been rapid and tains clear water for viewing the magnifi- often dramatic .. The globe-eyed and veil- cent colors of koi. tailed Shubunkin bears no resemblance to Fish may be bred for fun or profit, in a sim- the wild goldfish, and the brilliantly colored ple aquarium or a multi-tank fish house. double spear-tailed guppy would never be ~ These fish may be displayed for prizes at fish recognized as the "Mosquito fish," its wil shows, developed into new varieties, or just ancestor. kept for the proven therapeutic value of watching them. Fish make excellent pets- Goldfish they do not make a noise or a mess, they The goldfish is a member of the famil are cheap to maintain and can be left at Cyprinidae and is closely related to the Co - holiday times. mon carp (Cyprinus carpio) and the Cruci ...... The earliest reference to domesticated fish carp iCarassius carassiusi. The fish have bee is by the Sumerians, who stocked ponds bred into numerous varieties. Many mode with food fish in 2500BC. The domestication pet fish are as far removed from their wi of carp by the Chinese was recorded 2,000 origins as a Chihuahua and Great Dan years ago. Keeping fish as "pets" rather from the wolf. However there is no anato -
O:I0'( "l'''~'' rW]I:n....za than farming them for food is almost as old. ical evidence that the goldfish was bred fro...... " ~f..._live""A Records show that fancy goldfish and col- the Common or Crucian carp and hence . ored carp were kept in porcelain vessels dur- is not regarded as a variety of these specie . ing the Sung dynasty (AD960-I278). The Records show that red fish were foun Romans penned seawater fish for marine among the olive-colored fish of the rivers 0 farming, but some were kept as pets, eg the southern China in the 4th century AD. W..·..._
Moray eel. The Romans also coined the goldfish (not gold or red, but a dull oli 1 word "Aquarium," to name the water color) can be found in Chinese waters an trough used by cattle. Modern usage of the are still sold as a food fish in markets. A re
word can be traced to 1807 in England. or gold version of the wild goldfish may ha 7 The Annals and Magazine of Natural History attracted the attention of early fisherme of 10 September 1852 published a notice by and been kept as a pet. Over the hundred P.H. Gosse on aquarium keeping. He des- of years since then, the goldfish has bee cribed the tank of water holding plants and developed into many exotic forms. fish as a vivaria and aquarium. Although Goldfish spread to the west from Japar • Gosse may not have been the first person to rather than China. Chinese goldfish becam coin the phrase "aquarium" to mean a tank firmly established as a pet fish in Japanes of fish and plants, he certainly was the first water gardens around the r sth century. to recognize the potential of the system as Trading ships brought the fish from [apa a hobby in Victorian England, with his best to Europe in the I700S and to the Unite selling book The Aquarium in 1854. He also States in the I800s. persuaded the London Zoological Gardens to The Common goldfish must now be the set up tanks of fish for visitors, and so the world's most numerous pet. Millions are ....Aquarium gold. Cold-water species such as world's first public aquarium started in bred annually in fish farms in Italy and the the goldfish. with a temperature range of 50- 1853. (It was called the "Aquavivarium"!) United States. It is a hardy fish, long-lived 600P (ro-r8°C). have a high rate of oxygen The growth of the home aquarium is tied and undemanding, and very cheap because uptake. In warmer water or overcrowded to the growth of international travel. The of the commercial breeding of the variety. conditions. the available oxygen may be first transportation of tropical fish is Like other fish, goldfish have a lateral line inadequate. especially'in the traditional fish bowl, whose shape creates a very low surface acknowledged to be the journey by M. 'for sensing low frequency vibrations in the area compared to water volume when the bowl Simon who in 1868 brought the Paradise water, and also a well-developed sense of is filled.Aquarium plants such as pond weed. fish (Macropodus opercularis) from China to smell. These sense organs are essential fo hornwort and willow weed help to oxygenate .Paris. There the fish were successfully bred the carp family of fish which often live in the water. in 1869 and specimens were taken to the muddy waters with poor light penetration. United States in 1876. Records show that There lies the reason for the hardiness of the the airship Hindenburq flying passengers Common goldfish, with its ability to survive GOLDFISH 147
--
•
•
•
Aquaria and Endangered Fish in the murky waters of the poorly main- tained aquarium! One of the criticisms of the aquarium trade is because of gem mining in its natural habitat. that so many of the most exotic fish are ' The fish remains popular and numerous in Fancy Goldfish selectively fished from tropical waters, that captivity with considerable literature on its Over the many centuries of Chinese and the species become endangered, even extinct. care and breeding. Japanese fishkeeping some 126 recorded Certainly in the early days of the hobby, when Also in Sri Lanka, the Cherry barb (Barbus only wild fish were available, this criticism titteya) is now vulnerable because of varieties of fancy goldfish have been devel- was sound. Today however, with so many deforestation in its habitat of small streams in oped. Since World War II European and exotic fish farms, zoo aquaria and hobbyist the foothills of the country's southwestern American goldfish fanciers have imported breeders producing the most popular species, region. Large numbers of the fish are bred in the Asiatic varieties and even developed the aquarium trade may even save some Singapore for aquariums. varieties of their own. A classic example is species from extinction. Skiffia jrancesae is endangered in Mexico the Shubunkin. This multicolored variety of Species classified as vulnerable, rare or because the more prolific Red platy goldfish was developed by the Japanese endangered remain common in the aquarium (Xiphophorus maculatus ) was introduced into hobby, but the greatest threat to such tropical its natural waters. Probably it will be the around 1900 and imported into England species is industrialization, deforestation and private aquarist breeder who will save this where two famous mutations were bred: the pesticides. In some cases the IUCN's species from extinction. . London Shubunkin, with a predominant conservation recommendations include The colorful cichlids, on the other hand, do blue color, and the Bristol Shubunkin. also designating the aquarium trade as a formal not breed well in captivity. To them, the bluish but with longer fins. fishery. aquarium trade poses a threat of Goldfish societies have produced stan- Examples are the combtail (Belontia signata) overcollection in their wild habitat, mainly from Sri Lanka, which is catalogued as rare lakes in the Rift Valley of Africa. dards to identify fancy goldfish varieties. This has brought a degree of control over 148 GOLDFISH
the proliferation of forms and reduces the tendency to breed "mongrels" by casual hobbyists. The goldfish is an annual breeder produc- ing several hundred eggs during the "drive"
< ~ -( ~ as a male (or males) chase and bump a , "
<
e- ! ~ <, '_ ~''" female' swollen with eggs. To control the '-.t. _ r ~ t - /i< . . particularly in 'Asia. Intervention by gold- •• fish societies has weeded-out these monstrosities and line breeding' (pairing brothers with sisters and offspring with parents) has concentrated on the most ,• • beautiful varieties. The universally agreed system for identi- fying fancy goldfish is based mainly on color rather than shape. Three groups are the Metallic, the Nacreous and the Matt accord- ing to the number of iridocytes (clusters of white, reflective crystals) in the skin of the fish. Fin shape is the next key to identifica- tion, eg fantail, a tail deeply cleft to give four 6 lobes and held up like a fan, or veiltail, a tail • •• v completely divided and so long that it hangs' • down in a veil. Body shape can vary from the elongated comet, to the egg-shaped fantail and spheri- • • cal veiltail. The eyes may be protruding as in the telescopic-eyed varieties, or set over 5 the head as in the celestial-eyed varieties. Abnormal tissue growth can give a raspberry-like growth over the head to pro- duce the lionhead and oranda varieties. These growths are particularly well devel- oped in Japanese varieties and known as a "hood" or "wen." Koi Whereas the goldfish is probably of Chinese origin, the koi is definitely of Japanese origin. It was bred from the native carp Cyprinus carpio of Japan (also native to China and Central Asia). Records of a col- ored carp (Iro-goi) or floral carp (Hana-goi) go back centuries in Japan,. but the modern rainbow carp (Nishiki-goi) was only devel- oped in the past 100 years. In the Japanese region known as Ojiya in the Niigata prefec- ture, a mountainous area isolated by deep snow in the winter, koi were farmed as a food fish in ponds during the summer and in indoor pools through the winter. Over the years of line breeding mutations of red and black koi appeared. These colored koi were selectively bred ·GOLDFISH 149 and the Kohaku (a red and white koi) was smaller than its Japanese cousin but equally established as a pedigree line by the late colorful. A European version has not yet 1800s. During the early 1900S the Shirout- been developed, the harsh winter climate suri (white and black) and Kinutsuri (yellow preventing good growth; most specimens in and black) lines were established. Others fol- these countries are imported from Japan or lowed, such as Showa Sanke (red, white and California. black), Ogon (gold) and Ginrin (silver). Some European carp were sent to Japan Tropical Fish in the early 1900S as a gift from Germany. Keeping exotic fish in the home started in These scaleless and semi-scaled varieties of the 1800s, when the difficulties of maintain- carp were known as "German koi." Inter- ing water quality and temperature made it breeding with the Japanese koi gave rise to a very specialized hobby for the dedicated the modern Nishiki-goi with two basic body few. With advancing technology, especially types. These are the slender Asian koi with during the 1950S and 1960s, tropical fish full scales (called Wagoi) and the broader became a popular hobby. bodied German koi (called Doitsu). Com- A traditional home aquarium became bined with the color pedigree lines, this gives established consisting of plate glass bedded rise to Doitsu Kohaku, Wagoi Kohaku etc. in putty in an angle-iron frame, with a Breeding and showing koi is now a mains .electric heater controlled by a national pastime in Japan. The fish are bimetallic strip thermostat heating the examined by qualified judges and winning water to a constant 77°F (25°C). At first fre- fish are used for breeding with high stud quent water changes maintained a clear, fees. Owners of such fish become famous clean tank, but this chore was soon catered and breeding pairs are sold for many for through filtration and aeration in • thousands of, dollars. systems powered by vibratory air-pumps. • Varieties of goldfish. (I) Common. Koi are unsuitable for aquaria because By the 19 70S a whole industry had devel- 2) Shubunkin. (3) Veiltail. (4) Lionhead. they are best viewed from above, and large oped to cater for the hobby. Instant made-to- 5) Pompom. (6) Bubble-eye. volumes of water are necessary to allow fish measure tanks began to be simply glued ,. Massed koi. The carefully bred colors of this to grow to their full size and color. To together with silicone sealer. Biological filter ornamental carp are best viewed from above. in appreciate the fish's beauty, clear water is systems were developed and special over- water kept meticulously clear through filtering. needed which requires complex filtering head lights were manufactured to enhance It is only in pond conditions that the fish can devices. the fish's colors and aid the growth of grow to their full size. which in Japan sometimes reaches 3.3ft (rm). They may live American fish farms are now breeding the aquatic plants. Today electronic controls are up to 200 years. These koi are in a breeding koi commercially and the American koi is bringing reliability and ease of maintenance tank in Florida. now well established as a pond fish. It is that promises to expand the hobby further, I including the keeping of tropical marine fish. The gadgetry surrounding tropical fish keeping has made it a male hobby. Male domination has brought a unique com- plexity to the pastime: the aquarium is often not just a living ornament for home decora- tion, but the focus of a social science. There are some 400 fish clubs in the United Kingdom with various parent bodies, such as the Federation of British Aquarist Societies, which lay down rules for exhibit- ing the fish in local, national and interna- tional shows. Most American cities have a local aquarium club and about two percent of American fishowners belong to some society. Continental European countries 'such as France' and Holland have single national bodies with local subgroups. Specialist groups abound, such as the British Cichlid Association devoted to just keeping the Cichlidae, or the American Killifish Association which studies only the egg- laying tooth carps of the family Cyprinodontldae. Tropical fish to cater for the hobby were ISO GOLDFISH formerly supplied by a few specialist aquar- mass produced. Distributors now send bulk ium shops in Europe and North America. quantities of these pet fish from interna- Wild-caught fish were imported from the tional airports such as Singapore, Hong tropical regions at high cost, complete with Kong and Bangkok to wholesalers in all their endemic diseases and parasites. Florida, London and Frankfurt. Remedies to cure these diseases had to be Sixteen million homes have pet fish in the developed by the pet industry. United States, the greatest importer, but in .. Armored catfish. All catfish lack true scales, The development of jet air travel gave fish terms of the number offish per head ofpopu- but many species, such as this Bronze catfish suppliers a quick, easy and cheap way of get- lation, West Germany is the highest. Eastern (Corydoras aeneus) found in tropical fresh water ting tropical fish to the temperate zones. By Asia supplies most of the fish (about 70 in Trinidad and Venezuela, have armored the early 19 70S every major town in the percent). Latin America is second with 27 plates for protection against parasites and predators. Catfish typically have sucker mouths developed nations had an aquarium shop, percent. The Asian fish are mainly from or whisker-like feelers on their lips. They often and to cater for this huge market millions Hong Kong (23 percent) and Singapore (12 live in foul water and are adapted to gulp of tropical fish were being flown around the percent) with Thailand, Taiwan, the Philip- oxygen at the surface. world daily. Official estimates were pub- pines and Indonesia each contributing .. Varieties of guppies BELOW.(I) Wild female. lished quoting that 10-12 million fish were around 6 percent. (2) Wild male. (3) Double Sword male. (4) Delta being removed annually from the Amazon Latin America still supplies wild-caught tail male. (5) Long Dorsal Veiltail male. basin. In 1975 the Food and Agricultural fish, since fish farming did not develop there. .. Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) are so Organization of the United Nations pub- At least 100 species are shipped regularly aggressive that males cannot be kept together lished a survey of the ornamental fish trade from Brazil, the bulk being Cardinal tetras without reducing their elegant fins to tattered and estimated the worldwide market to be (Cheirodon axelrodii) and catfish. shreds, but usually they show no hostility to worth 4 billion dollars. It is in the jungle farms of Hong Kong's other species and can be included in Tropical countries were quick to realize New Territories and in Thailand and community tanks. They are about z.ain (6cm) • the potential of this huge market and small Singapore that most tropical fish are long, with numerous color varieties and fins greatly developed over the wild type. Tolerating jungle farms became established where the captive-bred for the home aquarium. A clas- a wide range of water conditions, they do best most popular species of tropical fish were sic example is the Neon tetra, a beautiful in clean, soft water at 7S-78°P (24-2S0C). \ • - • GOLDFISH lSI little fish which originates from soft water usually available in red or green forms. rivulets and pools in the jungle areas Again, many exotic varieties have been , between Peru and Brazil. Breeding pairs developed at least 30 are recorded so far. I were transported to Hong Kong where fish One is a long-finned veiltail form. Hobbyists farms produce the species by the millions. reported difficulties in breeding this variety, It is now sometimes called the "Hong Kong which was strange for such a prolific live- tetra" and many aquarists really believe it bearer fish. is a Far Eastern fish. It was eventually shown that the problem Just one fish is more popular than the was due to the male possessing too long a Neon tetra. This is the Angel fish. A stately, reproductive organ! Males of live-bearing 2 majestic fish originating from South fishes ha ve modified anal fins called America, it is now produced in such a gonopodia, used to inseminate the female. variety of breeds (such as the Black, Half- The long-finned swordtail developed such a Black, Silver, Gold, Albino, Lace, Ghost, long, flowing gonopodium that it was Veiltail and Blushing) that the original ineffective for reproduction. "ordinary" Angel is virtually unavailable. A price has to be paid for the mass produc- Tropical Marine Fish tion of so many exotic varieties from a small Modern techniques of maintaining water pool of genes. The average life-span has been quality using biological filtration and com- 3 reduced and disease resistance lowered. A mercially available chemical systems that good example is the guppy. This hardy little duplicate the ocean's chemistry have made fish originates from South America where it possible to keep the beautiful coral fish in it is known as the "Millions" fish because the home aquarium. it breeds so prolifically (it bears live young). Most of the species available to the marine , . Its main food is mosquito larvae, so the fish aquarist are wild-caught specimens and are 4 has been introduced into many countries to both expensive and diseased. However, control malaria. By selective breeding, research is under way in captive breeding dozens of uniquely colored males (the techniques and commercially bred coral fish females are drab) have been produced in 12 such .as the clownfish, are available in , specific tail shapes. The original wild guppy aquarium shops. J is a hardy little fish that lives for 3-5 years. No doubt developments will see domesti- 5 The domesticated, exotic forms are prone to cated varieties of coral fish available to the bacterial diseases and only live about a year. hobbyist that are even more exotic than the • Another popular fish is the swordtail, wild fish if that is possible. DMF