Tale of a koi found on a rock

13 years ago

Spouse has a rock ledge sticking out about nine inches above the water level. She goes out and found what appears to be a dead koi on this rock ledge. The fish was only about four inches, length less than half the distance to the ledge, and she wonders how it got there. She calls me to come look at this confusing situation. We muse over it for a bit and I pick it up. It feels stiff.

Having grown up on a remote farm and having worked in a research lab, out of curiosity I decide to do a necropsy. I see no evidence that it has been handled by some rare critter. I start to push tip of some sharp scissors into the belly of the fish and I feel a reflex. I hold it under water and a gill moves a bit.

So we put it in a container of pond water and two hours later it is swimming around normally. Another two hours and she releases it back into the pond. It appears to be OK twelve hours later.

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Comments (4)

annedickinson
13 years ago
That is amazing!! Glad it survived not only being out of water but getting stuck in the belly with scissors!!
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
Original Author
13 years ago
Succumb to a fungus, actually I euthanized it because of a fungus, on the side that had been exposed to the sun. Tough little male with an enlarged gall bladder.
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sleeplessinftwayne
13 years ago
Albert, Fish that jump out of the water often die later, even after being revived, from massive gram negative bacterial infections. Such bacteria are common in the dirt.
goodkarma_
13 years ago
Awww... that is sad and I am so sorry that happened. I have a Koi that spent a few weeks in the dead of winter at the top of the water with the top of her body exposed to 10 degree temps.

In the spring she had a huge wound that resembled a burn. The tissue sloughed off, and the fungus appeared. It turned green with algae. Eventually she made a full recovery which is amazing. I think sometimes that when a fish is very sick or injured that providing a supportive environment of clean water, and good nutrition may work. The percentages are slim but I would just like to point out that it is possible. I am not saying that Albert was wrong at all. It takes courage to end the suffering of a wounded fish and I am sure with his knowledge that he did what needed to be done. But just wanted to share my story too.

Regards,
Lisa