"These fish originate from China, where they lived in the gorges of the White Cloud mountains. These streams are fast-flowing and have a cool temperature. The minnows used to be found amongst the aquatic vegetation, but are now almost extinct in the wild."
I have taken possesion of three of these small fish - minnows! Who'd have thought, here in New Zealand! I was excited enough when I discovered that there were Fire-bellied Salamanders available to the home salamander-keeper, and bought one (sadly, I extinguished the tiny thing by miscalculating it's dietry needs) but I'm being far more careful with my minnows. These are not the same minnows that Jeremy Fisher fished for, but their story is an even more interesting one and I'm glad I spotted them at the garden centre, as I was casting my eye over the comets and shubunkins and considering buying some of those for old-time's sake. The tiny flicking-things caught my eye. They are active schoolers, like the young trout I kept as a boy. I enjoy their energy and elan and verve (subtly different, those).
"Apparently once upon a time back in the 1950's White Clouds were very expensive fish, back then people would pay a small fortune for such colourful little fish. In a way they have become a victim of their own popularity and hardiness and now they are so cheap and readily available that people use them for 'cycling' new tanks (which is totally unneccessary and cruel) or even as 'feeders' for big predators (again unneccessary and cruel!)"
I didn't know that!
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