How Queer Fish Are Bred

1914

Curious Results Obtained by Chinese and Japanese in Selection and Crossing

The telescope fish, a monstrous variety of carp, is a creation of the Chinese and Japanese fish breeders, who are past masters in the art of deforming nature. It has an almost globular glistening body, gilded on the sides, double dorsal fins and a long tail of peculiar shape. Its eyes and their sockets are very prominent and resemble the object glasses of telescopes, whence the name telescope fish.

A carp possessing this abnormal feature was discovered in Japan in the sixteenth century, since which epoch the peculiar character has been perpetuated and combined with many variations in form and coloring, by careful selection and crossing.

The variety known as Yen-tan-yen or "veil tail" preserves the normal structure of the eye during life, but its delicate transparent tail attains an enormous size and falls in graceful folds, like a veil, producing effects that a "serpentine" dancer might envy, when a little flsh moves in the sunlight.

Other Japanese varieties of the telescope fish are the "sheep's nose," which owes its name to the convexity of its body; the "pig's snout," which has a head resembling those of Asiatic swine, and the "fan tail," which raises and spreads its tail in the manner of a fan-tail pigeon.

The Chinese breeders of telescope fish disdain these abnormalities of structure and devote their attention chiefly to coloring. By modifying the temperature of the water, and by impregnating it with lime and iron, they produce startling shades and markings.

Among the innumerable varieties thus obtained we may mention the "spotted," with a belly of silver, and sides and back marked with blue, yellow, black, rose and carmine dots; the crimson "ruby" and the "superb," with glittering scales, scarlet belly, and black or bright red markings on the back.