Identify this stowaway

[DrDave]

I found a few of these in my juvinille pond. I'm trying to figure out what it is and how a bunch got started in an exclusive Koi pond.

 

[fishin4cars]

That is a common comet. Did you get plants from someone else that could have had eggs?

 

[DrDave]

That is what I thought.
I have not added plants or fish from anyone in years. Customers are never allowed to use their containers to get water out of my ponds.
I caught about 40 of them in an hour. My 55 gallon tank is getting full of them. Some are up to 3" and I found a few that were about 3/4" long.

I also found some in with my 22" breeder koi. They had to negotiate the stream to get down there. I guess they didn't want to eat them as babies.

 

[fishin4cars]

I could see a few maybe on anything that may have come from another pond, 40 alive and swimming fry? Wow! I'm at a loss as how they got there.. that's weird! Maybe the fish goddess sent them, LOL Or a heron pooped a bunch of eggs???????:yikesu:

 

[CountryEscape]

I always thought that heron were bad because they sometimes carry fish in their pouch and can "relocate" them in other ponds. Is it possible that is how a stray fish got relocated? This is a very interesting thread!

 

[DrDave]

I think you are talking about a Pelican. Egrets swallow and have no visible pouch.

 

[CountryEscape]

Yeah, probably, but around here the great blue's are called "river vultures". We don't have pelicans in IL.

 

[adavisus]

If ducks visit your pond, eggs may have hitch hiked from a nearby fishpond

Regards
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[fishin4cars]

I have seen Herons and egrets move a fresh caught fish from one body of water where they caught it to another body to eat. But I don't think fertilized eggs could pass that way, never seen them carry a breeding pair at the same time and these are fertilized goldfish fry.

 

[mogsie]

is it possable that some person could have dumped a heap of babies into your pond secretly ?

 

[DrDave]

is it possable that some person could have dumped a heap of babies into your pond secretly ?

That is possible but unlikely. What would be the motive? Anyone that knows me, also knows I will help them re-home their fish.

 

[Nova]

lol nature finds a way. They are a pretty fish.