Wednesday, August 08, 2007

On Haunted Pond

I have a new fish in my pond. I didn’t put it there… I have no idea where it could have come from. I do have two “feeder’ gold fish that have grown so large they are more predator than prey - they are perhaps a little more than a year old, 18 months tops. They are the last of 20 such fish I put into the pond - net cost, $2.00. I call them Romeo and Juliet, but I have no idea if they are even of the opposite sex. How do you tell… look under their fins? But even if they did spawn this new fish, there are a couple of troubling details.

It is a little large to be a “baby” fish. Indeed, it is about the same size as the others when they were new. It looks like it might be a gold fish, but it’s dark grey, not gold. Although certainly not a deal-breaker, it is impossible to get a close enough look to determine its species. There is only one… maybe two, but I doubt it. Don’t fish ‘litters” number in the hundreds - even thousands? He (she?) is elusive and although I don’t believe gold fish are cannibalistic, Romeo and Juliet are known to play rough - especially around feeding time. Maybe the little one is smarter than the average bear?

And no, it is not a tadpole - I’ve had them and this is not one. I think my pond might just be haunted. You know - like “On Haunted Pond.” It could happen...

7 comments:

kenju said...

Is it possible that someone who got tired of having a fish in a bowl decided to put it in your pond? That'a a mystery!

Michele said...
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Jennifer said...

I was wondering, as Kenju was, if perhaps you'd been "gifted" with a fish from a friend. I like our friends better...they gift us with fresh vegetables instead of fish ;).
Thanks for the visit last night...I was so surprised and tickled at the honor, and it was great to see you again :)

flleenie said...

well either Romeo & Juliet are playing rough or you have a fish-giver on your hands!!!

Heather said...

Michele sent me! happy weekend a day early. I'd guess a neighbor gifted you with a gold fis or they really did breed. Even though a fish will have multiple little ones most die from predation and never make it to adulthood. Its possible the new ones have just been hiding and growing all this time.

Carli N. Wendell said...

Abiogenesis at work.
Enjoy the new fish. Hopefully he will not be enjoyed (as a meal) by your current fish.

It's amazing how big those feeder goldfish will grow if you give them enough room. I think there's a sci-fi film there. A really lame sci-fi film, but a sci-fi film nonetheless.

Anonymous said...

I thought that was "On Golden Pond"...but I'm just saying. Maybe it was adopted. The two bigger fish kept trying to have baby fish and couldn't so they decided to adopt? That is really strange but I say never look a gift horse...er fish, in the mouth.

Michele sent me but I visit daily anyway.