The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-02-05
WONDERFUL FISH.
Its beautiful Changing Colors and It's Re-
markablc ntelllgence.

WONDERFUL FISH.
Its Beautiful Changing Colors and It's Re-
marlablc Intelligence.
The sight of two brilliantly colored
fish and a lot of little fish. evidently
their offspring, attracts q crowd every
day in front of On aquarist's window on
East Sixteenth street, says the New
York Sun. They are paradise fish from
Cochin China, and the two adult fish
have performed q feat no two fish IT
the species ever performed before in
this country. They have reproduced lit
tie paradise fish, and great is the Joy of
the fish sharps who visit the place and
learn the way the fish build their nests.
The sharps term the paradise fish
macropodus venustus; that is to say,
big-footed beauty. 1t is called a para
disc fish because of the variety and
brilliancy of its colors. 1t is indigo
nous to Cochin China and India, and is
about three inches long when full
grown. Mr.. Samuel, who had the fish
sent to New York from Germany, said
concerning the paradise fish and los
habits:
1.-THE head is gray in color, and is
mottled with dark spots, and the gills
blue, bordered with crimson. The eyes
are yellow and red, and the pupil black.
The sides Of the body are crimson, with
ten OF. twelve vertical blue stripes. The
tail is crescent in shape and Is crimson,
with blue border.
"When the fish Is excited all the col
ors are brilliant. When the male fish
is fighting for the possession OF fe-
male Of the species he extends all his
fins and displays their most vivid colors.
The tail Is covered with small spots,
like the eyes on q peacock's tail, and
the under surface Of the fish becomes
jet black. The colors of the dorsal fin
change constantly from green to blue,
sometimes showing white spots, and
the body trembles perceptibly, RAJ
dating colors Of every hue.
.'The fish go to the top of the water
very often for air. They are exceed
ingly inquisitive, and when person ap-
proaches their tank they swim close to
the glass and look at him. At times I
have noticed them resting on the bottom
| of the tank, supported on the two long,
scarlet spines, looking much as boy
does when reclining on his elbows read
ing.
"As summer approaches the fish be-
come very active and build q nest. The
male fights for the possession Of the fe-
male and the victor betakes himself to
corner of the aquarium, where he
commences to construct his nest. TAX
| ing position about an inch below the
surface Of the water he frequently
takes air into his mouth and then elects
it forcib1y in the shape of little bubbles
covered with glutinous substance
which prevents them from bursting for
several hours. He continues to make
bubbles until he has little floating
| platform about six inches in circumfer-
ence and quarter of an inch thick.
'When the nest is finished the female
approaches and deposits her eggs be.
meath the nest. The male gathers the
eggs with his mouth and places them on
the bubbly nest.
''When all the eggs have been cared for
the female again makes her appearance,
and the operation is repeated until
about 1000 eggs are on the nest. The
eggs hatch out in about thirty-six hours.
! The father guards the young very jeal.
ously, and will not permit any thing
moving to approach near them. He
will even fight his mate II she comes
close to any of the small ones, although
have never seen her molest them. In
this period have seen the male kill his
mate. For the first three days the
young fish are kept near the surface,
and after that the male disperses them
by putting at them. II any weak ones
sink he gathers them In his mouth and
fires them to the surface. As the young
increase In size he instructs them how
to find food. When they are fifteen days
old they look like the adult fish.
'SThey are fed on earthworms and
raw beef, and during the cold weather
! keep them comfortable by keeping an
incandescent sixteen-candle power lamp
burning under them day and night.
They can not endure q temperature
lower than "a degrees or higher than OF
degrees. Aside from temperature they
are very hardy and exceedingly prolific
in summer. My pair reached me late
in the fall. but BY the use OF the cleo
trio lamp was enabled to raise the
temperature to 80 degrees, and they
commenced to build raised twenty
four small fish, but the cold weathe,
has since killed some Of them. The
males are very intelligent, and they car
be taught many things, such as ringing
bell when they are hungry by pulling
o cord dangling in the water"
| M 10 III