Wild fish found in Koi Pond

[Camperpond]

Hello all, I have a small garden pond about 100 gallons or so with a small water fall feeding it. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures to share at the moment so I'll post some later. This pond is located on a seasonal campsite I stay at during the summers. Since there is not any power available during the winter, I bring my fish home and keep them in fish tank where I can enjoy them.

This past summer I started up the pond with a prize 7" butterfly Koi and a 4" Gold fish. About half way through the season my prize Koi became dinner for a raccoon. When I added a new koi to replace it I discovered 5 very small (`1") wild fish in the pond. Note, my liitle pond is about a 1/2 mile from the closest natural pond in the middle of the woods. Does anyone have any idea how they got there? I havent positively identified what these fish are yet. I have never seen any water fowl and have never introduced any wild vegetation. The second question is do any of you recognize these fish? I'm guessing common carp? They are in my fish tank now, sorry for the poor resolution.

 

[sissy]

Could you have brought the eggs in on a plant .I have never really seen a common carp but have to say it is a pretty fish

 

[Camperpond]

Thanks Sissy, I have transplanted lilly's in previous years, though I have not brought any plants in this summer. Each spring I completely clean the pond down to the rubber lining before moving my fish back, so they could'nt be survivors from past seasons.

 

[sissy]

Well he looks big so he is sure not a baby fish .Where do you put your lilies in the winter .Could some one have brought him over and put him in your pond .Meaning is there easy access to your pond .I have babies now but they are only and inch long and not sure what they are yet ,koi or goldfish or a combo of them .If they are an inch long they could be from this year and maybe the fish you had spawned and you did not see them at first .I know I did not know I had babies until last week .They hid out so they would not get eaten by the other fish

 

[Dave 54]

To me that is not a wild Carp its a ghost koi probably you may have had a spawning which I doubt or someone has put it in your campsight pond .
The true wild carp have the large doitsu scales which is how the Japanses started the doitsu strain after being given one or two by the Germans back in the mists of time looks a nice healthy koi though.
Do you have any photos of the babies ?

rgrds

Dave

 

[Craig58]

Kind of looks like a goldfish to me. Probably a "Mule". It is very possible your Koi and goldfish mated before your nighttime visitor carted the Koi away. This isn't unusal and the resultant babies are usually sterile. A 7" Koi and a 4" goldfish are certainly big enough to bred. One inch in size would be about right for a babies born in a small pond this past spring/summer.

http://www.aquameds....e?article_id=30

Craig

 

[sissy]

I thought the fish in the pic was bigger but you said 1 inch ,but he sure looks bigger than 1 inch .I know usually all my babies lately are white with a little gold but in past years they were mostly black .Well guessing your pond is restocked now with new babies .I know a couple of years ago I brought home pond plants from the koi farm and there were fish in where the guy had the plants and there must have been eggs in there and I found baby fish in my stock tank and could not figure out where they came from until I thought back .

 

[Camperpond]

Sissy, the picture is deceiving, this is the largest although it is only about 1 1/2 inches. Can koi and goldfish cross produce? All that was in the pond was a butterfly koi, and a goldfish. Both were probably old enough to spawn, although I didnt think they could cross produce. Oh, the lilly's just died off with winter and were removed when the pond was cleaned.

If they can cross produce, then that is probably the answer.

Dave, the pond is accessible though somewhat isolated, also, due to the size of the fish when first discovered (

 

[Craig58]

Don't expect much, if any color in these babies if they are crosses.

Craig

 

[Camperpond]

Well, you have solved my mystery and educated me at the same time.

Craig, thanks for sharing your construction pics, that was also very informative.

 

[JohnHuff]

They could be your fishes' babies. Babies are born a drab color for camouflage. When they get bigger they'll get their normal colors.

 

[Dave 54]

if you look at the face you can see barbles the koi also has a different face i;e it has a dip which makes up the nose which says koi I
Look at the dorsal fin its a dead givaway it's not a goldfish's dorsal the same as the tail fin the whole thing says koi not a cross breed meaning it isn't a mule .
I have a ghostie in my pond who is exactly the same it sounds to me as though your koi have been doing naughties and some fry have survived, congratulations your a fishy parent

rgrds

Dave

 

[Craig58]

Dave,

She only had one Koi in the pond at any given time. It takes two to tango.

If it's a Koi, (I'm not sure I see barbies on the face myself), then five fertilized Koi eggs must have some how snuck in on something else into the pond.

Unless you believe in fish immaculate conception!

Craig

 

[capewind]

Just like human kids, sometimes they look more like one parent or the other (my youngest is all out daddy's girl, but I do remember the delivery, so I dont need a paternity test to know she is mine LOL). A little birdie isnt going to drop 5 babies, unless eggs on a twig/plant, and that is a hard sell. I am thinking your fishy family was conceived before the tragic kidnapping of your koi.

 

[Dave 54]

I had a trawl through ebay here in the UK for Ghost koi that where up for sale and found this photo of a bowl full of them.
As you can see they are exactly the same as the ones posted in the original Photo koi unlike goldfish are stuck with the colour they are born with so there should be little change in the colour of this one .
The facial features are exactly the same .







rgrds

Dave