FIG. 54— Goldfish spawn attached to the leaf 



of an aquatic plant. Enlarged about 



two and a half diameters. 



THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOLDFISH 



As previously stated, the goldfish is oviparous and the spawn is 

 fecundated after extrusion. Figure 54. The almost transparent white or 

 yellowish eggs are about one-sixteenth inch in diameter and when first ex- 

 truded have a slightly flattened, lentel 

 shaped appearance but upon fecunda- 

 tion assume a globular form. Fer- 

 tilized eggs retain their translucent ap- 

 pearance, but the unfertilized eggs 

 become opaque or milky. The 

 hatching of the ova takes place in 

 from three to seven days, dependent 

 upon the season of the year and the 

 temperature of the water ; and con- 

 sists of the germination of the yolk, 

 the development of the embrio, and 

 the final evolution of the alevin or 

 tiny fry still attached to the yolksac, 

 upon which it nourishes for some 

 days after hatching. Figure 55 will explain the metamorphosis of the 

 egg and the development of the fry, the greatly enlarged illustration being 

 that of a June hatching of spawn of a mottled male and a red and white 

 female Chinese Telescope goldfish ; and is (i) the newly exuded unfecun- 

 dated ova, full and lateral views; (2) the ova four and ten hours after 

 fecundation, showing germination and formation of the membrane; (3) the 

 development of the embrio and plasmic processes at the edge of the mem- 

 brane, twenty-four and thirty-six hours after fecundation; (4) development 

 of the alevin and yolksac, fifty and fifty-six hours after fecundation; (5) 

 free-swimming alevin attached to the yolksac, four days old; (6) alevin five 

 days old; (7) the same seven days old; (8) the fully developed young fry 

 ten days old. 



Artificial Impregnation. The author knows of no successful at- 

 tempts at the artificial impregnation of the spawn of goldfishes, though 

 this is successfully done with the eggs of the larger food fishes, and has 

 increased the number of fertile eggs from 50% to 80% or 90% over the 

 natural method of fecundation. Attempts in this direction would be most 

 interesting, and there is no doubt of its being practiced by the Oriental 

 breeders. 



89 



