XXVII.— THE GOLD ORFE, (CYPRINUS ORFUS.)* 



A — ON THE RAISING OF THE "GOLD ORFE," (CYPRINUS 



ORFUS.) 



Br M. Kirsch, Director of Fisheries at Wiesbaden. 



The "Orfe," Cyprinus orfus Linn., "Porfe" in French, and bearing a va- 

 riety of names in German, such as "Nerfling," "Gold nerfling," " Erfel," 

 "Elft," " Urs," "Urf," " Rotlling," and " Ladies' Fish," is distinguished 

 by its beautiful orange-colored back, and its belly-scales, which glitter 

 like silver. Taking into account its slender, trout-like shape, it may 

 well be called the most beautiful fish of our country. 



Having been for many years occupied in raising the " Gold-orfe," in 

 addition to my raising large quantities of trout, pike, and carp, I desire 

 to state briefly the reasons why the Nassen Fishing Society has devoted 

 so much attention to this fish, and has spared no pains in raising it. 



We think that it is not only the duty of all larger piscicultural estab- 

 lishments to prevent the entire disappearance of a species offish so near 

 extinction, but have also found after careful examination of everything 

 that has been said concerning this fish in old works, and of all we had 

 gleaned from our own experience, that the raising of the Cyprinus orfus 

 is of incalculable value to the practical pisciculturist. 



There is scarcely a fish which as an ornamental fish so satisfactorily 

 meets all the demands made of it, as the Cyprinus orfus, which, in 

 summer and winter, is constantly seen near the surface of the water. 

 It does not sleep in winter like the carp and tench, and never makes 

 the water muddy. Ever restless, the Cyprinus orfus constantly swims 

 near the surface to seek its food, and even when ice thickly covers the 

 ponds, red spots indicate that this active fish is alive. 



Gold-fish, gold tench, and carp only occasionally rise to the surface of 

 the water, while they seek their food at the bottom, and thus make the 

 water continually muddy. 



The raising of the Cyprinus orfus as an ornamental fish has a peculiar 

 advantage over that of the gold-fish, which in early youth is black, and 

 only assumes its golden color during the second year, while the nu- 

 merous young of the Cyprinus orfus, floating about in large schools, even 

 when leaving the eggs present a remarkably beautiful appearance. 



*Froni " Circular No. 4," published by the Deutsche Fischerei-Verein } Berlin, March, 



1872. 



