Vol. III. 



APRIL, 1894. 



Copyright 1894. All Rights Reserved. 



No. 31. 



DENOMINATIVE CHARACTER- 

 ISTICS OF FRESH WATER 

 FISHES. 

 V. 

 THE CARP-LIKE FISHES. 

 CyprinidcB {continued.) 

 THE GOLD ORFE. 

 (Idus melanotiis auratns) 

 Die Goldorfe. Vide d'or. 



This fish is a variety of the com- 

 mon orfe, which are natives of Ger- 

 many. 



The body is long, much compressed 

 on the sides, and covered with small 

 uniform sized scales ; the head is small 

 and the lips without barbies. In gen- 

 eral appearance it is almost exactly like 

 the American shiner. The dorsal fin, 

 which is yellow, is situated on the mid- 

 dle of the back and is very short, like 

 that of a minnow, consisting of but 

 eight or nine rays. The back and 

 sides are of a rich orange, with here and 

 there small spots of intense black ; the 

 belly is silvery white and the abdomi- 

 nal fins white, tinted with red. When 

 full grown the fish measures 24 inches 

 in length. (See illustration on page 

 2, Vol. III.) 



The spawning season occurs in May 

 or June ; the eggs when extrud.ed are 

 very tender, at any rate more so than 

 those of the common carp. The young 

 are of a yellow color immediately after 

 having been hatched, and swim to- 

 gether in shoals as minnows do. 



The fish was but lately introduced 

 into this country, at first being called 

 the '" golden ide." The name was 

 thought to refer to the golden eyes and 

 degenerated into "golden eyed," a very 

 manifest error. To coi'rect it, the 

 original German name, " gold orfe " 

 was thought preferable, and the fish is 

 now known by it. 



There is scarcely a fish that for orna- 

 mental purposes so fully meets all de- 

 mands. It is of a lively disposition, is 

 constantly seen at the surface of the 

 water, where it goes to seek insects, 

 Crustacea, etc., upon which it feeds, 

 and being a shoal-swimmer, presents a 

 beautiful sight in the water of small lakes 

 or fountain basins. Another very im- 

 portant fact is that it does not muddy 

 the water as the food-carp and goldfish 

 is very apt to do. 



It is exceedingly watchful, the least 

 suspicion of danger causing it to dart 

 away into deep water. 



