What is this tiny fish?

Fishy1 · 22-02-2021 2:13pm #1

Hi,
I have a small urban pond on the outskirts of Waterford City. I don’t keep any fish in it as I prefer to let nature take its course. We currently have a clump of frogspawn & a few amorous frogs in residence!
To my astonishment however, we spotted this little fish in our pond just now. I’m wondering if anyone could identify it for me? I’m perplexed as to how it got there. At a guess, it was about 2 or 3cms long & is brown in colour.

SmartinMartin · 22-02-2021 2:16pm

Appropriate name.

Fishy1 · 22-02-2021 2:28pm

I managed to net it, I’ll return it to the pond, but am just worried that the pond is far too small to sustain it, if it grows!

blackbox · 22-02-2021 2:32pm

Fishy1 wrote: »

I managed to net it, I’ll return it to the pond, but am just worried that the pond is far too small to sustain it, if it grows!

Sorry I can't help with identification, but fish often resolve this issue by simply not growing to full size. Goldfish (carp) can become huge in a big lake.

Alun · 22-02-2021 2:33pm

There's an angling forum too which might be able to help.

Car99 · 22-02-2021 2:41pm

That is a very small common carp by the look of his scales and fins . How did he make it into your pond?

loyatemu · 22-02-2021 2:45pm

could a heron or some other bird have carried it in, or maybe carried fish eggs in it's droppings?

SeaFields · 22-02-2021 2:49pm

I'd say common carp too going by the dorsal fin. How it ended up in the pond? There is a school of thought that fish eggs can be transported by birds - internally and externally. If you have for example a heron that visits your pond, eggs may have been transported on its feet

Fishy1 · 22-02-2021 3:18pm

We’ve never spotted herons visiting the pond, although that’s not to say they don’t! There is a river not too far from where we live & there are herons there, so that could explain it.
Thanks everyone for your contributions - general consensus seems to be that it’s a carp. I think the kindest thing for me to do is to release it into the river.

New Home · 22-02-2021 11:27pm

Carp-e Diem!

fiacha · 23-02-2021 12:53am

Fishy1 wrote: »

We’ve never spotted herons visiting the pond, although that’s not to say they don’t! There is a river not too far from where we live & there are herons there, so that could explain it.
Thanks everyone for your contributions - general consensus seems to be that it’s a carp. I think the kindest thing for me to do is to release it into the river.

If it is a common carp, you can't release it into the river. they are considered invasive.

Leave it in the pond and let nature take its course or send it to fishy heaven.:)

What is this tiny fish?

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