Fish eyes

[haver79]

This may be a silly question. When a fishes eyes are totally black, can they see? Is that just a trait like red eyes or does it mean they are blind?

 

[Mmathis]

Are you by any chance talking about your new babies?

I can't answer your question, but I have fry that are Shubunkin babies -- they all have black dots for eyes, which look totally different from the eyes of the regular fry. It's just because their skin (scales?) is transparent, which makes the eyes more apparent. Far as I can tell, they can all see just fine.

 

[haver79]

TM I was talking about adult fish. I seen an adult shubbie fish that was very pretty but its eyes were totally black. Since I wasn't sure about the eyes I didn't get it. I have also seen some fish that maybe have one black eye. Always wondered if the eye is bad or if that is just the color of the eye.

 

[Dave 54]

Even if they were blind they would do very well in their own tank , I've seen Moors that have lost both eyes live a long and happy life without sight

Dave

 

[addy1]

I have a lot of solid black eyed fish, some of my shubbies are colored like that, they are not blind, if they were it sure would be easy to catch them.
There are some that a breeder has called sunrise shubbies, they have black eyes.

not my picture

 

[shakaho]

The all-black eyes are called button eyes. You will never find them on metallic-scaled fish. Shubunkins and other calico/nacreous goldfish may have one or two button eyes or have both eyes normally colored. These fish have a mixture of metallic(reflective) and matte (transparent) scales. Matte goldfish have all transparent scales and always have two button eyes. They are often colorless and are called pinkies, although colored mattes have been produced.

Button eyes work just fine. I admit I was worried that my first shubie, who had a button eye, was blind in that eye. She wasn't.

 

[haver79]

Ok thanks all, good to know. Still would rather their eye look like an eye. The black ones are kinda spooky looking. I may reconsider the next time I see one with a black eye.