An open-air fish market in Qingdao City
Marco Endruweit
Qingdao City, Licangqu, Shandong Province, China
Fish keeping is one of the most common, most traditional but also most expensive hobbies in China. There are three major sections in Chinese fish keeping; large fishes, goldfishes and common ornamental fishes such as tetras, barbs, catfishes, etc… One can easily spend a month’s salary for a medium sized Asian dragon fish. Surprisingly, virtually nobody cares for fishes native to China. The only exemption is the in the nature widely extirpated Chinese sucker, Myxocyprinus asiaticus (Bleeker, 1865), Catostomidae, which is farm bred and sold as ornamental fishes.
I visited a typical Chinese open-air market close to my flat in Qingdao City, Licangqu, Shandong Province, China in order to purchase living food for my fishes. It’s absolutely common to put all products on the ground, in some case on a thin layer of fabric. There are ornamental fishes, food fishes, food shrimps, living food, artificial food, filters, tanks, bowls, and all kind of equipment.
Living food is sold in large quantities; Tubifex, red moskito larvae, sometimes Moina. Unfortunately the sortiment is rather limited.
The bulk of the fishes sold were goldfishes, all of them in excellent conditional quality. Goldfish keeping has long tradition in China; it dates back to the Nan Song Dynasty (968-975 AD). These highly polymorphous and polychrome fishes come is distinctive varieties, from elegant to plump forms, from unicolor to extremely colorful. They are a symbol for friendship, peace, luck and happiness.
The most common artificial food are all kind of granules. They are sold by weight.
The most common artificial food are all kind of granules. They are sold by weight.
Outside temperatures: 5 ºC.
Selling ornamental fishes at these temperatures requires some precaution in terms of isolation.
Red-White Lyretails are belonging to the virtual original and most ordinary varieties of goldfishes.
Barbs (Danio rerio), labyrinths (Colisa lalia), Guppies, catfishes and two Myxocyprinus asiaticus. The seller told me the latters are from Guangdong Province, southern China.
These fishes are fantailed Calico Dragoneyes. There are some forms bearing nasal bouquets. The bigger and rounder the bouquets are the higher is the price of the fish.
The four balls below belonging to an usual variety referred to as Calico Globular Pearl-Scale
Fantailed Dragon Back with Tiger Head. The dorsal fin is gone due to selective breeding. This variety is not easy to keep. The water must be kept biologically clean because these fishes are sensitive to infections. The head shape is also called Lion Head.
Doitsu actually comes with a prefix or suffix.
This variety is called Fantailed White Oranda Red Cap.
It is known since ancient times. The cap should remind of the sac cranes, the elegant wetland bird, are carrying. The more square and flush in coloration the cap the higher is the price of the fish. The caudal appendage should be longer than the body, while the body itself should be short and square in shape. The fishes displayed do not comply to these standards.
This variety appeared in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province and has been perfectionated by a breeder in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. The head and tail should be short to give the fish a ball-like appearance. These fishes are difficult to breed. Offspring apparently require low water level (biologically cleared) and plenty of live food.
Doitsu (spoken: doh-eet-sue)
These koi carps are belonging to the Doitsu variety. They carry two rows of so-called German scales along the dorsal line giving them an armored appearance.
Hikarimono (spoken: hick-ah-ree-moe-no)
These Hikarimono Platinum Ogon kois are fascinating fishes due to their unusual shining appearance (Hikarimono means ‘the shining ones’). The koi is classified as an Ogon, the color is shiny platinum. These fishes are rather expensive; 60 RMB equals to 6.5 Euro for one fish (in January 2009).
