The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-04-08
QUEER FISH FROM JAPAN.
BRIGHT HUED, DOUBLE TAILED,
sCALELESs CREATURES,
Their Long Journey Over Land and
Sea-,The Cans They Travel In
Aquarium Fish.

Their Long Journey Over Land and
SeaLThe Cans They Travel In
Aquarium Fish
Hundreds Of beautiful fsh-gold,
silver, yellow, orange, red, black and
green-swimming lazily around within
their glass-lined prisons. Some of them
have journeyed half around the globe TO
finally find temporary abiding place in
the store Of the New York aquarium
dealer, behind whose windows they are
displayed. This is what the dealer says
of them.
"We are having big call since we
got in this last consignment from Japan.
In that country the breeding of queer
and handsome fish is brought down to a
very fine point. May be it has taken
them hundreds of years to do it, but
they beat the world in one thing, any
way, and that's in the raising of queer
fish. Dealers send all the way to Japan
to get them. 1t took over seven weeks
for this last lot of ours to reach us. Six
weeks of that was the trip by ship across
the Pacific to San Francisco.
"The living fish are put up by the
japanese in twelve-gallon tin cans. They
look something like small editions of the
ordinary American milk can. In each
100 fish are placed, with water enough to
almost, but not entirely, fill the can.
The cans are now inserted in wicker
baskets filled with straw, and in the top
of each are punched a number of small
holes to admit air. On the trip across
the Pacific the water is occasionally
changed by the steward, but on the
journey by rail across the continent the
shaking the cans receive when going
around curves and over steep grades
keeps the water plenty fresh enough. In
fact, though you may not know it, fish
can be kept alive almost indefinitely in
an aquarium, without changing the
water, by your simply taking care to
occasionally shake up the water by run
ming your hand through it quickly from
side to side. The movement makes the
water fresh again, some of the outside
air getting into it.
''In the lot just received there are 800
Chinese carp. They are little fellows,
of silvery green color, iridescept in
certain lights. None of them is a year
old yet, and in size they run from two
to six inches. They are much more
beautiful than the German carp, which
are already well-known in this country.
Unlike the German fish, which have
nearly straight stomachs, the bread bas-
kets of the japanese fish project down.
ward considerably. In fact, they have
well-marked 'bay windows They are
thus very plump looking.
"Their tails and fins are extraordinarily
long and fringe-like. Many have fan
tails, or double tails joined at the top.
In some cases such fan tail splits apart
as the fish grows older, with the result
that the fish gets two separate tails in
stead of one. This overplus of tails,
however, seems to cause no inconveni-
ence. The little carp apparently propels
himself along just as happily with two
tails as he might with one.
"We have also received 800 Japanese
scaleless fish. In color they are much
like goldfish, but are absolutely desti-
tute of scales. Through their bodies are
symmetrically marked and apparently
glisten with scales, if you catch one you
will find it as soft and mushy as a polly
wog. There are no scales, only skin and
so thin is it that you can easily see
through it and pick out with the naked
eye the heart and other internal organs.
The scaleless fish occur with fan tails,
and exhibit the beautiful, long fringe
like fins so characteristic of Japanese
fish. The Chinese carp and scaleless fish
are the most interesting, of course, but
mustn't forget several hundred gorge.
ous-tailed japanese gold aud silver fish
just come to hand. They are handsome
in form and Of far brighter colors than
the ordinary goldfish bred in America.
"They have beautiful double tails and
long, delicate fins like the Chinese carp
and scaleless fish, and also are plump,
with stomachs of aldermauic tendencies.
Their colors are exceedingly brilliant.
Though IN Japan they are bred in varieties
containing shades of blue and green, we
have only received combinations of red,
yellow, silver and back. Hotels, restau-
rants and other public places where
aquariums arc often placed find tho
japanese fish, with their brighter colors
and curious forms, far more artistic than
the ordinary American gold and silver
fish. "Priyate keepers Of aquariums, too,
like them. The prices for aquarium fish
show great variety, running for single
specimens all the way from five cents up
to more than ST. For the scaleless fish
aud the Chinese carp we charge 81 each
Fine examples of the gorgeous tailed
japanese gold and silver fish bring us in
the same price. Ordinary American gold
fish are worth ten cents each, while other
American fish, such as sticklebaclSs
which, by the way, can be made to breed
and build nests in the aquariums-sun-
fish, rockfish, etc, are sold at from five
to ten cents each. Pollywogs fetch a
nickel each. Sometimes we have small
alligators in stock. They run in price
according to size. We ask 50 for one
Il feet long, while one p feet long we
sell for s.. "-Nele York Sun.