In the last month, there have been 2 or 3 occasions when out at the pond I thought I caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar dorsal fin in the floating plants. However, no strange fish showed up for feeding, so each time I dismissed it as my having just caught a glimpse of my small black moor or my short-finned shebunkin cruising the plants.
Until today.
I was feeding the fish, when lo and behold a fish that I did not add to the pond showed up!
I've seen it three times today, each time very briefly. It's just under 2" long, a matte black colour (black like a moor, not that washed out fry colour), has a single tail with rounded lobes, and a slender/torpedo body.
Here's the thing - I don't think any of my fish are big enough to have spawned.
I have 4 shebunkins, 2 sarasas, and one comet, all just under 4" (with tail).
I have two moors, an oranda, a ranchu, a telescope, and a telescope wakin. The wakin and one of the moors are big enough to spawn (about 4" in the body), but all my fancies are males (had breeding stars clearly visible in the spring).
My largest koi is about 8-10" long, but was only added a couple of months ago. Based on the size of this fish that showed up today, I figure it's got to be about 12 weeks old? The only koi I had in the pond 3 months ago were my kohaku and my grey butterfly koi. Both are around 6" in the body now, but were only about 4" then. Plus, I think koi have to be a few years old before they spawn?
Soooo...is it possible this is from my fish, or does this have to be a case of an egg or tiny fry that came in on a plant?
And has anyone heard of a single-tailed goldfish being a solid matte black like that?
If he/she continues to get less shy I'll try and get some pics...
Until today.
I was feeding the fish, when lo and behold a fish that I did not add to the pond showed up!
I've seen it three times today, each time very briefly. It's just under 2" long, a matte black colour (black like a moor, not that washed out fry colour), has a single tail with rounded lobes, and a slender/torpedo body.
Here's the thing - I don't think any of my fish are big enough to have spawned.
I have 4 shebunkins, 2 sarasas, and one comet, all just under 4" (with tail).
I have two moors, an oranda, a ranchu, a telescope, and a telescope wakin. The wakin and one of the moors are big enough to spawn (about 4" in the body), but all my fancies are males (had breeding stars clearly visible in the spring).
My largest koi is about 8-10" long, but was only added a couple of months ago. Based on the size of this fish that showed up today, I figure it's got to be about 12 weeks old? The only koi I had in the pond 3 months ago were my kohaku and my grey butterfly koi. Both are around 6" in the body now, but were only about 4" then. Plus, I think koi have to be a few years old before they spawn?
Soooo...is it possible this is from my fish, or does this have to be a case of an egg or tiny fry that came in on a plant?
And has anyone heard of a single-tailed goldfish being a solid matte black like that?
If he/she continues to get less shy I'll try and get some pics...
