Fun Golden Orfe Facts For Kids

When we consider the fish that lives in ornamental ponds, we think of goldfish and koi fishes. If you are looking for an interesting new pond fish, let me introduce you to the golden orfe.

What people like most about the Orfe (Leuciscus idus) is its unusual behavior. They are not only great jumpers but also show group behavior that is not seen in many fishes.

When it's hot, they will gather in a group, usually in the shade of a hanging bush. This pond fish will tremble and tremble as if using secret sign language to communicate with each other.

Then they take turns going outside a few meters and then returning to the group.

There is no data on what is causing this behavior, but it's really fun to watch especially if you have your personal garden pond. Orfes, additionally called Ides, are well-liked and enticing lake fish.

They're long and slender with peachy-orange bodies and sometimes tiny black spots across the rear of the body. Orfes come from Europe and are dark, silvery blue in their wild kind.

The golden form of these fishes was developed by selective breeding for decorative and pond use. Around 1880, Orfes were the first foreigners to the U.S. and propagated in ponds beside cyprinid and carp.

If you enjoyed reading about golden orfe, read about other interesting fishes like green sawfish and Ayu fish.
 

Golden Orfe Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a golden orfe?

Golden orfe is a kind of ray-finned fish.

What class of animal does a golden orfe belong to?

Orfes belong to the class of fish. They are popular pet fishes, just like the goldfish and koi fish.

How many golden orfes are there in the world?

There is no information on the population of golden orfes.

Where does a golden orfe live?

The ideal habitat appears on the clear poolsides of larger rivers, ponds, and lakes but may move to deeper waters in winter and then to shallow freshwater to spawn in spring.

Golden orfes are terrifically suited for larger ponds, at least 500-gal (1893 l) pond, and should be housed in ponds deep enough for winter survival and with plenty of areas to accommodate their mature size.

They thrive in cooler temperatures up to about 77 F (25 C).

They also require lots of oxygen and will appreciate waterfalls, streams, and fountains that agitate the surface of the water of the pond or river. High temperatures and still stagnant waters are detrimental to their health.

What is a golden orfe's habitat?

This species is found in the Baltic Sea that has a lower salinity than most oceans. In Sweden, fish spend their first year of life in rivers and then add to more mature fish as they migrate downstream.

Going to the Baltic Sea in summer, these fish will return to the river in autumn and stay near and downstream from the mouth of the river throughout the winter.

Who do golden orfes live with?

The ideal habitat appears on clear poolsides of larger rivers, ponds, and lakes but may move to deeper waters in winter and then to shallow freshwater to spawn in spring.

Golden orfes are best suited for larger ponds, at least 500-gal (1893 l) pond, and should be housed in ponds deep enough for winter survival and with plenty of areas to accommodate their mature size.

They do best in cooler temperatures up to about 77 F (25 C).

They also require lots of oxygen and will appreciate waterfalls, streams, and fountains that agitate the surface of the water of the pond or river. High temperatures and still stagnant waters are detrimental to their health.

How long does a golden orfe live?

As mentioned above, orfe living in garden ponds can usually live to be 20 years old, although there are reports suggesting that some blue orfe may reach close to 30 years too.

How does the pond fish reproduce?

Firstly, raising any fish is complicated and challenging, although many pond owners know that the golden orfe can be one of the most difficult fish to raise.

In the wild, the orfe is a prolific breeder, and mature females lay thousands of eggs in the spawning season. However, the conditions must be right, and reproducing these conditions in a pond can be tricky.

First, if you have a large pond (thousands of gallon pond) and a gravel/rock pond bottom and/or a large number of plants where they can lay eggs, then you will have a higher chance of success on the substrate and roots.

In the wild, orfe tends to breed in densely vegetated areas and shallow water in spring, so you may need to recreate these conditions for your goldfish and plant many plants in shallow water for use in spring.

They also seem to prefer water with some exercise and high dissolved oxygen, so make sure these elements are present as well in your pond.

The water temperatures should be around 77 F (25 C) to ensure optimal fertility and successful reproduction.

If you notice that your small fish are a bit energetic, chasing and bumping into each other in the shallower areas of the pond, they are likely breeding or preparing to breed. When you notice this behavior, make sure the environmental conditions are right.

You might see some golden eggs in the pond soon!

What is their conservation status?

Their conservation status has been reported to be as Least Concern.

Golden Orfe Fun Facts

What do golden orfes look like?

The most common breeding species in garden ponds hobbies is golden orfe because of its brighter color and the less common blue goldfish.

When young, orfe usually shows a silver scale pattern with small black spots on their heads, but as they mature, most species will show an overall orange glow, ranging from subtle tones to bright gold, similar to koi and goldfish.

The ide is a fairly plump and robust fish though not particularly deep.

The peduncle of the tail fin is very thick. When small, the ide has a black back and silversides, but older fish will cast a golden glow on the sides.

At all ages, the eyes are yellow, and the pectoral and anal fins are red.

The dorsal fin has 3 spines and 811 soft rays, the anal fin has 3 spines, 8 and 11 soft rays, and the caudal fin has 19 soft rays. It has 47 vertebrae.

How cute are they?

To people who enjoy keeping fish as pets, these fun-loving fishes will be absolutely adorable.

How do they communicate?

Fishes usually communicate using motion and gesture.

How big is a golden orfe?

Orfe grows to 9.8-19.68 in (25 to 50 cm) in length. They are about the same size as a kelp rockfish.

How fast can a golden orfe swim?

These docile fish are active in swimming and are often close to the surface of the pond where they can eat easily. They swim very fast, and caution should be exercised in shallow pools or bare-edged garden ponds because if they jump out of the water, they may be trapped or can die too.

Despite the fact mentioned above, they swim deep enough in search of food and to lay eggs in the substrate. The fastest fishes in the world are considered to be sailfishes.

How much does a golden orfe weigh?

Their normal weight range is 1.1-3.3 lb (0.5-1.5 kg), but they can rarely reach a weight of more than 4.4 lb (2.0 kg). They are two times lighter than the houndfish.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for the males and females.

What would you call a baby golden orfe?

Baby fishes are called fry.

What do they eat?

Their natural diet consists of microinvertebrates, including snails, mollusks, and mosquito larvae. If your orfes have a high appetite, you should supplement their diet with earthworms, scallops, and meat-based pellets or pieces that are high in protein.

They are known to eat small fish fry, too, so keep them separate from small fish in larger ponds, perhaps, or until other fish are larger than a few inches in size.

Are they poisonous?

They are not poisonous.

Would they make a good pet?

As an ornamental fish, the idea is commonly called the orfe. The main breed being bred is the golden orfe with a few black spots near the head with a gold or orange neck.

Because it grows rapidly, it is recommended to keep it outdoor garden as a golden orfe pond that is not suitable for indoor aquariums.

They require superior oxygenated water than koi and goldfish but are able to maintain this kind of involvement. The golden orfe was very popular as an ornamental pond fish until carp got right into their hands in the '60s.

Did you know...

Orfe is susceptible to viruses and parasites. One of the viruses that golden orfe infects is the Rhabdiovirus caprio or carp virus.

Again, this is common in spring. This is because the chemistry and temperature of the water change and can be in a dormant state for the fish, making potential disease unavoidable.

This is a highly contagious virus, and it has the potential to cause abdominal swelling, skin lesions or bleeding, blackheads on the skin, bulging eyes, and death. Provide a balanced, high-quality meal of orfe. Wild orfe is carnivorous fish that eat large quantities of aquatic macroinvertebrates such as snails and mollusks, so they contain a lot of protein.

Maintain adequate water quality and temperature and isolate diseased fish. It will help prevent the outbreak and spread of the virus.

In Europe, this ornamental fish is often sold as a food fish to eat as well.

How hardy are golden orfe fish?

Orfes are generally considered tough and well-adapted fish in water in the range of 50-77 °F (13-25 ° C), below freezing, or at 90°F (water is too much in either of these extremes). They have not been stored for a long time.)

They work optimally at neutral alkaline pH between 7 and 8. Its natural diet consists of insects and snails, including mosquito larvae.

Appetite and need to supplement the diet with foods such as earthworms, hyorchuns, protein-rich meat-based granules, or flakes. They are also known to eat fried small fish, so keep them permanently or separately from the small fish until the other fish are two inches or larger.

Golden orfe and other fish

Yes, golden orfe does eat fish smaller in size and sometimes fish fry. But there is no evidence of them eating their own baby/babies.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these orange angelfish facts or spotted sunfish facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable golden orfe coloring pages.