Black metallic comet "goldfish" from China

Hi Everyone, Today's topic is about the black metallic comet "goldfish" from China, which I manage to buy one in Australia before they are banned here. Australian Quarantine originally allowed shipments of black comets until 2010, then they realised that they are koi hybrids when they tested their genetic make up in their labs and banned them in Australia since. Many black comet shipments were destroyed. Some Australian river systems are plagued by European carps, so kois are banned in quite a few Australian states. However, being koi/goldfish hybrids, they are generally sterile (barring the few exceptional cases). My black comet appears to be a female, which helps, as hybrid koi/goldfish hybrids have greater chance of being fertile than their male coundeterparts (easier to obtain viable eggs than viable sperms from such hybrids). If it is fertile and able to produce viable eggs, I will try crossing it with a goldfish in time. The chance of fertilisation is greater than crossing it with another black commet male, assuming it is acutally fertile. My black comet hasn't grown much at all, but has darken over the year since I bought it. It does not appear to have a barbel. It also appears my black comet is very tough healthwise. It is also very active, and exceptionally inquisitive when compared to either the goldfish or koi. Kind regards, Bill Text and photos copyright Bill L 2011

Black/dark tea brown metallic goldfish from calico parents

Hi Everyone,

Here are some of my black/dark tea brown normal-eyed metallic fantail/nymphs derived from calico parents.

The black nymph developed what was originally a white, now orange throat, but has since stabilised, ie, not depigmenting (losing) anymore black at present. It was originally all black without the white throat for a long time.

Both the black and dark tea brown nymphs are males and are siblings.

The fantail is a small one and a half incher, still darkening at the moment (a good dark brown - darker than the tea brown nymph but not black yet), may eventually darken to black in time.

Like the black metallic Azumanishikis, or Azuma Black dragons observed by the Japanese and Chinese, black and dark brown metallic specimens do appear from the metllic frys from the crossing of calico x calico (nacreous) goldfish.

Kind regards,

Bill L

Text and photos copyright of Bill L 2011

Blue metallic mirror-scale goldfish

Hi Everyone,

Photos of my female blue metallic mirrorscale goldfish, a special post for Harris (Harzan), as I meant to post him photos of my blue metallic goldfish from Australia.

She is the only blue metallic mirrorscale I have seen here. The blue is quite violet at certain angles and lighting.

She appears to be a rarity.

Kind regards,

Bill

Photos and text Copyright 2011 Bill L

2 of my Leather goldfish - 6 months on

Hi Everyone,

My leather goldfish population (goldfish with no scales or very few scales, and they are not goldfish with opaque scales) is now down to seven (from ten), two more died during the summer heat here.

All leathers of mine are metallic goldfish, not nacreous or matts.

It's now six months since I had my leather goldfish.

Only two leathers now are still wild bronze in colour, the others (including those two that died recently all have depigmented).

The leathers are mainly yellowish to light orange.

I've taken out the largest leather (this is the one without fins other than the tail) - more than two inches (a female) and the leather with dorsal (appers to be a male) for a photo session.

Here are some of the pictures 6 months ago on 25 July 2009 and now - 26 January 2010.

Kind regards,

Bill



© Bill L 31 January 2010

My leather goldfish update

Hi,

Of my ten leather goldfish, one has died (second largest) after my heavy water change when I got back from Hong Kong in the end of October. Bummer...The rest are OK.

Five of the nine leathers have de-coloured or are de-colouring. Of the remaining four, one is likely to de-colour, ie, the largest one. The remaining three show no sign of de-colouring at present.

For the leather goldfish which have de-coloured, one is orange, two are golden yellow, two are light beige yellow, one of the beige yellow is the leather with the most complete set of fins. That is, the one with the dorsal fin in the first two leather goldfish that I purchased. The other finless leather from these two is still bronze green in colour.

Here are quick snaps of them in their own tank, so clarity is not great, as I didn't take them out and photograph them individually in clear water. Haven't got time at the moment.

PS: I haven't seen anymore leather goldfish since July, when I acquired these two batches. They are still very precious to me, as I really don't know how many leather goldfish really exist in the world, at least from the view point that they are recognised and the leather breed being maintained.


Best regards,

Bill

© Bill L 15 November 2009

Hong Kong: Goldfish Street or Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok

Hi,

I was in Hong Kong for two weeks during the end of October 2009, here are the photos of my trip at Goldfish Street, Mong Kok.

The most memorable experiences at Goldfish Street were seeing some huge Ryukins and Orandas, in excess of 15 inches and the large black comets (really hybrid carps). These black comet "goldfish" did not have barbels but they definitley weren't goldfish. They were also around at least 17 inches in length.

Also among the non-goldfish: really eye-opening were seeing a sturgeon fish hanging among the bags (bag on right at the topmost photo in this blog) and seeing the Red fin giant gouramis (Osphronemus laticlavius) live! I haven't seen them yet in Australia.

And how dirt cheap they were, AUD $1 = HKD$7 or USD $1 = HKD$7.76,...

A related post on koi photos is in my Mirrorscale koi blog.

The shop vendors generally didn't like people taking photos, some shops had signs up saying no photos. I took as much as I could.

PS: I did not see any blue phoenix eggfish or mirrorscale or leather goldfish in HK.

Best,

Bill

© Bill L 15 November 2009