50 GOLDFISH VARIETIES AND 



become less torn. As these are usually also the young, vigorous males 

 they are to be preferred for breeding purposes. Spawning usually 

 starts at daybreak and lasts till middle afternoon. It may be repeated 

 every few weeks until the first of August, but the first spawn of the 

 season is the largest. 



Goldfish deposit their eggs preferably on floating aquatic plants, and 

 these should be freely provided (first making sure they contain no snails 

 or other enemies to fish eggs). The best are water hyacinths (with as 

 large roots as possible) and bunches of myriophyllum. The female will 

 swim over the plants and drop the eggs. As they fall the male passes 

 over and fertilizes them by an ejection of spermatic fluid. They are of a 

 mucilaginous character and adhere to the plants. The eggs are about 

 one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter and are of a pale, amber hue. The 

 fish drops from ten to twenty eggs at a time, and after short intermis- 

 sions repeats the operation. A complete spawning of a medium sized 

 female runs from five hundred to one thousand eggs. Large fish not 

 infrequently spawn over three thousand. This refers to the first breed- 

 ing of the season. As previously remarked, subsequent spawnings are 

 considerably smaller. As the plants become covered with eggs they 

 should be removed from time to time, allowing a few minutes for the last 

 deposit to become fertilized. These plants should be removed to enamel 

 trays about 4 inches deep and 12 to 20 inches in diameter, containing 

 clean water of the same temperature as breeding tank. If more con- 

 venient the fish may be removed after spawning and allow the eggs to 

 hatch where they have fallen. One of our leading breeders makes an egg- 

 trap composed of a number of bunches of myriophyllum, secured together 

 in a radiating circle, like the spokes of a wheel. About 10 bunches are 

 used. The tinfoil is removed from each and tied again with thread. The 

 same thread is carried half an inch to the next bunch and so on until they 

 are all arranged on a string, which is then knotted together in the form of 

 a circle. The fishes spawn in this with their heads to the centre, and as 

 the eggs are discharged in the direction of the rays of plants, the chances 

 of the eggs finding a lodging place in them are very good. Such a circle 

 need not be removed until well filled with eggs. Some females eat their 

 own spawn, so removal of eggs is safer if hyacinths or small bunches of 

 myriophyllum are used. No snails should be present, as they eat the 

 eggs. However, after the eggs have hatched the snails should be used to 

 eat the infertile ones. These appear on the second day to be milky white 

 and later become covered with large balls of fungus. The fertile eggs are 

 of a pale amber color and are not easily seen. This fact together with the 

 marked prominence of the infertile eggs often gives the beginner the idea 

 that the eggs are all bad. He is generally surprised, therefore, to see what 

 a large number hatch. 



