74 GOLDFISH VARIETIES AND 
will-power, without physical effort. Chaetodons greatly prefer live 
daphnia to all other foods. If fed upon them regularly it is difficult to 
get them to touch anything else, starvation under these circumstances not 
being uncommon. They do fairly well on dried shrimp once they take it. 
THE SUNFISH 
The Sunfish is one of the most widely distributed and best known 
of our freshwater fishes, American boys being well acquainted with them. 
Most of us have seen the tidy, clean spots fanned out by a pair of sun- 
fishes. This is the “nest” in which the eggs are deposited. Both parents 
protect the young, attacking all comers in a vicious manner. Excepting 
the Chaetodon, or black-banded sunfish, all of the several species are 
Pugnacious, especially when large. They should not be kept with other 
fishes unable to protect themselves and it is inadvisable to have one much 
larger than its fellows, as it will “bully” the other inmates of the aqua- 
Fic. 56. THe Common SunrisH 
rium. Sunfishes have a decided carnivorous tendency, much preferring 
live worms or flies to prepared foods. In winter they will take shreds 
of raw liver. Of the dry foods, ground dried shrimp is the best for them. 
The coloring of the sunfish shows to excellent advantage in the aqua- 
rium, and it will be found a very tame and interesting pet. It can with- 
stand severe temperature changes and will survive for years if suitably 
fed. 
