Pet goldfish was suffering from swim bladder disease, a disorder that prevents a goldfish from controlling its buoyancy in the water.

Taylor Dean, a 19-year-old Youtuber who creates educational animal videos, just shared a picture of a goldfish in a ‘wheelchair’ – and the Internet is going crazy over it.

It was sent to her by a friend named Derek who works in a local aquarium shop. The guy recently had a customer bring in their pet goldfish that was suffering from swim bladder disease, a condition that makes a fish unable to control its buoyancy in the water.

As diet adjustments and water treatments were ineffective, Derek decided to go an extra mile to help the little floating fellow by creating a goldfish ‘wheelchair’.

“I got some airline tubing that people usually use in their tank and just placed it around the goldfish. I added some valves to the bottom of it, which acted as a ‘chair’ to prop him up… [Then] added weights to the bottom of the ‘chair’ and something to keep him afloat on top (styrofoam),” Derek told Buzzfeed.

He added: “The bottom weight is almost equal to the pull on top so it works quite well for him!”


Taylor’s post went viral, with the woman commenting: “I’ve worked with several injured fish but him going out of his way to help this fish was just precious.”
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These days, with all the different animals people have as pets, it seems like any species could be man’s best friend.

 We’ve seen people make strong bonds with creatures from bubbly, playful lizards to super cuddly baby elephants. As long as there’s a sense of trust between the two and they both show some sort of affection, any match could be a match made in animal heaven.

This match between a Japanese diver and a fish, however, really is something special. Hiroyuki Arakawa from the Tateyama Bay in Japan has been tasked with cleaning and securing a very sacred underwater shrine for many, many years now.

And along with maintaining the shrine, he’s also been maintaining a bond with a local fish named Yoriko.

For over two decades, the two have recognized each other instantly, and Arakawa always makes sure to greet Yoriko with a kiss on his head, as seen at 1:29. Even though fish have very blank faces, you can tell Arakawa is different to him as he doesn’t swim away as most fish would when a human approaches.

 As he does his work, the large Asian sheepshead wrasse fish swims right by his side, keeping him company in the dark depths of the bay. After all, there’s no bond stronger than that between a man and his fish!
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While exploring the waters of Thailand's Chaloklum Bay, a snorkeler happened upon a bittersweet scene of friendship between two little pufferfish.

One of the prickly animals had somehow gotten trapped in a fishing net on the ocean floor. But rather than swim away leaving his companion behind, the other fish stayed by his side.

It's unclear how long the fish had been stuck there with his friend holding vigil, though he stood little chance of surviving for long in those binds. Fortunately the snorkeler, a volunteer from the marine conservation group Core Sea, had found them in time.

With no other tool handy, the man used a shard of broken glass to carefully cut the pufferfish free. All the while, even in light of the potential threat the snorkeler posed, his companion remained.

Soon enough, what once must have felt like a hopeless predicament came to a happy conclusion for the trapped fish and his friend. After the last bit of tangled netting was removed from the pufferfish's body, the pair swam away into the vastness of the sea, together.


As touching as this show of pufferfish solidarity is, it might not actually be uncommon. Despite long-held beliefs that fish are generally devoid of feeling or intelligence, a recent study found these animals are in fact smarter and more social than most folks ever realized. And because of that, it might be time we reconsider how we think of them.
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Giant Oarfish usually live at a depth between 650 feet and 3000 feet, which means that people rarely get a chance to see them with their own eyes.

But recently, workers from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium spotted two 15-foot-long oarfish swimming in shallow waters in the Sea of Cortes in Mexico.

Growing up to 50 feet long, oarfish are the longest bony fish alive, and, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, "its common name arises from its highly compressed and elongated body or from the old belief that the fish moves through the water by 'rowing' itself with the pelvic fins." What might at first look like blood in the video above is actually the fish's distinctly colored dorsal fin, which ranges from pinkish to cardinal red and runs along the entire length of the fish.

And thanks to its huge size and distinct shape, we probably have the oarfish to thank for sailors' tales about sea serpents.


The fact that these oarfish are in shallow water doesn't bode well for them, according to Smithsonian, which notes that "when oarfish end up in such shallow water it usually portends a bad end for the fish, as they don’t generally venture into that portion of the ocean unless they are injured or dying."
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Dozens of fish suckle on baby's bottle in feeding-time frenzy at animal park in China ... and almost rip it out of woman's hand

Most people would take a couple of pieces of bread along when feeding fish.

But not this couple. Andrey Torchinskiy and his wife use a baby's bottle to feed a hungry school of carp in Shanghai, China. The amusing footage, posted onto the Storyful website, shows the fish thrashing around in the water as they each take it in turns to suckle from the bottle.

It also shows one of the fish biting so hard on the bottle that it almost rips it away from Mr Torchinskiy's wife's hand.

Mr Torchinskiy said the couple decided to experiment with the bottle at the animal park as they were curious to see how the carp would react. He said: 'A guy was selling these baby bottles to feed the carp. We decided to try it just for fun, but we didn’t expect that it could be so impressive and entertaining. It was mind-blowing.'


The oily freshwater fish, which are native to Europe and Asia, are brightly coloured with predominantly orange and yellow and white spots.
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A goldfish in Australia is recovering from surgery after a life-threatening tumour was removed from its brain in a "high-risk" operation.

Dr Tristan Rich, who carried out the operation, told Melbourne's 3AW radio station that the fish was now "up and about and swimming around".

Vets say the 10-year-old fish is now expected to live for another 20 years.

"George had a quite large tumour on the top of his head that was growing slowly, and it was beginning to affect his quality of life," Dr Rich from the Lort Smith Animal Hospital said.

George's owner was given the choice between an operation or having the fish put to sleep.


"She was dedicated enough to give it a go," he said.

He added that the fish was kept alive by pumping oxygenated pond water through its gills.

Dr Rich described the 45-minute operation as "fiddly".
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This Dog Trying To Save A Dying Fish Is More Humane Than Most Humans

 While no one knows for sure what this dog is thinking, we can’t help but believe he’s sincerely trying to save these fish from dying.

Watch as this compassionate dog, who somehow knows that fish need water to survive, tries to give several gasping fish lying on a dock some water.

He seems almost desperate in his attempt, stopping only to look up at the heartless humans filming the entire event as if to say, “are you just gonna stand there and watch?”

He looks up to the humans as if to say, “Are you seriously going to just stand there and do nothing!”


Do you think dogs understand life and compassion? Or, do you think something else is happening here? Weigh in!
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Joseph Delsordo is an American living in Taiwan. During a vacation with his wife in Kending he came across this bizarre sight – two black swans helping to feed some koi fish. He told Storyful it happened at the Swan Lake Resort.

About Koi Fish

Koi are an omnivorous fish, and will eat a wide variety of foods, including peas, lettuce, and watermelon. Koi food is designed not only to be nutritionally balanced, but also to float so as to encourage them to come to the surface. When they are eating, it is possible to check koi for parasites and ulcers. Koi will recognize the persons feeding them and gather around them at feeding times.

They can be trained to take food from one's hand. In the winter, their digestive systems slow nearly to a halt, and they eat very little, perhaps no more than nibbles of algae from the bottom.


Feeding is not recommended when the water temperature drops below 10 °C (50 °F). Care should be taken by hobbyists that proper oxygenation and off-gassing occurs over the winter months in small water ponds, so they do not perish. Their appetites will not come back until the water becomes warm in the spring.


There are reports of kois that have achieved ages of 100–200 years.[13] One famous scarlet koi, named "Hanako," was owned by several individuals, the last of whom was Dr. Komei Koshihara. In July 1974, a study of the growth rings of one of the koi's scales reported that Hanako was 225 years old. The greatest authoritatively accepted age for the species is little more than 50 years.

Dorri Eijsermans never dreamed that her Dutch Shepherd, Wiebe and her koi pond fish would develop a special bond with each other.

Wiebe was intrigued by the fish ever since he was a puppy, but being so young he was too scared to approach the pond's residents. Even though the koi pond was a permanent fixture in Dorri's garden near Eindhoven, Holland, it took Wiebe months to warm up to the fish.

However, their special relationship blossomed when Wiebe began drinking from the pond after being taken out for walks and the fish associated that with feeding time. The fish were always fed when Dorri returned from the walk and the fish eventually associated Wiebe's drinking with feeding time. They began to come to the surface to acknowledge his presence.

The koi would also swim along next to the Wiebe each time he walked near the water, since they associated with Wiebe the filling of their bellies. While taking a drink, Wiebe would often give the carp a kiss. Dorri says she is delighted that Wiebe and the fish get along so well.


According to Dorri, She said: "As their owners we were delighted to see that Wiebe and the fish got along so well. When he was two months old he kept a certain distance from the fish, although they intrigued him very much. At some point Wiebe started to drink out of the pond when we came back home after a walk. We would feed the koi after we got home, so after a while the koi took Wiebe's drinking for the signal it was feeding time."


"As of then, the koi swam to the edge every time Wiebe was in sight, they even swam along next to him when he only was walking by. Now grown up, Wiebe was no longer afraid - he just kept on drinking even if the koi got so close that he licked her on the nose. The fish seemed to like it too."

Amazing Little Puffer Fish Creates Ocean Floor ‘Crop Circles’

Recently a man from Japan, Yoji Ookata, who has dedicated his life to uncovering the mysteries of the deep oceans discovered something very amazing. He had obtained his scuba license at the age of 21 and has since spent the last 50 years exploring and documenting his discoveries off the coast of Japan.

He was on a dive near Amami Oshima at the southern tip of the Japan, when he spotted something he had never encountered before: rippling geometric sand patterns nearly six feet in diameter almost 80 feet below sea level. He soon returned with colleagues and a television crew from the nature program NHK to document the origins what he dubbed the “mystery circle.”

By using underwater cameras the team discovered the 'artist' is a small puffer fish only a few inches in length. This fish swims tirelessly through the day and night to create these amazing sculptures using the gesture of a single fin. The team through careful observation found the circles serve a variety of crucial ecological functions, the most important of which is to attract mates.

Apparently the female puffer fish are attracted to the hills and valleys within the sand and swim them carefully to discover the male fish who is waiting for them. The pair then eventually lay eggs at the circle’s center and the grooves later act as a natural buffer to ocean currents that protect the delicate offspring. The scientists also learned that the more ridges there were within the sculpture, it resulted in a much greater likelihood of the fish pairing.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration less than 5% of the world’s oceans have been explored. This means that 95% of what lies deep underwater on Earth has yet to be seen by human eyes. If humans are just making discoveries this significant now, it really makes you wonder what else is down there. Only 95% more to go!

In Laguna, Brazil there are about 200 local fisherman who make their living from catching the mullet fish which is a local source of food for the community. Nothing too unusual about that except for the fact that the fisherman get a little help from a group of about 20 bottlenose dolphins everytime they fish. These 20 dolphins are a part of a larger group of dolphins who do not assist the fisherman. Researchers are trying to find out what is the difference between the two groups. The "cooperative" dolphins tended to spend more time together, even when not assisting humans.

When assisting the fishermen these dolphins work together to herd groups of the mullet fish toward a line of fishermen in boats or knee-deep water. The dolphins then signal with specialized head or tail slaps when and where the fishermen should throw their nets. The cooperation is helpful to both parties, researchers said. The two wouldn't survive without each other. The effort is not entirely charitable on the part of the dolphins because the fish that escape the nets often swim right into the mouths of the dolphins.

Researcher Daura-Jorge has said "The fishermen have names for the cooperative dolphins — particular stars in this cooperation are 'Scooby' and 'Caroba,' that cooperate for more than 15 years."

Scientists have concluded that this cooperation seems to be a learned or inherited behavioral trait. It seems that the social interaction is what drives the foraging behavior of the dolphins to assist in the fishing. This cooperation behavior may be passed down from mother dolphin to her calves through social learning. This is exactly how the trait is passed on in the human half of the equation. The elders in the community teach the younger fishermen how to work with the dolphins.

Researcher Daura-Jorge and his team have tested out this idea by studying the genetics of the Laguna dolphins. It is possible that certain dolphins are inheriting their human teamwork skills, with teaching mothers reinforcing the behaviors. Their study of this will be published in the May 2 issue of the journal Biology Letters.

Dolphins: Second-Smartest Animals?

The effort is not entirely charitable on the part of the dolphins. Fish that escape the nets often swim right into the mouths of the dolphins, which have learned to wait for that fulfilling moment.

Daura-Jorge and his team conducted boat surveys over a two-year period, collecting photo identification data and other information on the dolphins. Any that teamed up with humans for fishing was classified as "cooperative." The others were classified as "non-cooperative."

The researchers next used computer modeling to identify social relationships among the dolphins. "Cooperative" dolphins turned out to spend more time together, even when not assisting humans. They appeared to have their own social network within the larger local population of bottlenose dolphins.

The scientists suspect that "ecology, genetics and social learning" could be driving and maintaining the wild dolphin subset's unique relationship with humans. Interestingly, the phenomenon seems to mirror how the Brazilian fishermen learn their trade.

"The human side of this dolphin-fishermen interaction is maintained through inter-generational information transfer, that is, teaching by elders, and it is likely that a similar process is used to transmit complex behavioral traits between generations of dolphins, as found in other localized behaviors, such as 'sponging' in Shark Bay, Western Australia," they wrote. (Source)

A dashing-red sea slug that seems to be hamming it up for the camera in the U.S. Virgin Islands has come into focus in this year's winning underwater photograph in an annual contest put on by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

More than 700 images were submitted for this year's underwater photography contest, Ximena Olds' photo of the headshield sea slug against a brilliant background of green seagrass taking home the "best overall" award. Olds is a local Key Biscayne, Fla., resident.

The photos were judged by a panel of experts that included: photographer and UM lecturer Myron Wang; underwater photographer Nicole Wang; and Michael Schmale, a professor at Rosenstiel School Marine Biology & Fisheries. They awarded prizes in three categories, macro, fish or marine animal portrait, and wide angle. Best overall photo was the equivalent of first place. [See Photos of the Contest Winners]

The first-place award in the macro-photography category went to Canadian Todd Mintz's photo of cute-as-can-be yellownose gobies (Elacatinus randalli) peering out from brain coral in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean.

A swirl of lionfish, Pterois species, in the Red Sea snapped by Mark Fuller of Israel snagged first place in the wide angle category.

Though not a category, the judges awarded the "Best UM Student Photo," which went to Kyra Hartog's image of a whale shark. The whale shark is one of the most mysterious creatures and the largest fish in the world. They live their lives mostly out of sight; in fact, little is known about where they go and what they do when they aren't in shallow-water feeding groups in Mexican and other waters during springtime. Satellite-tagging studies as well as a genome-sequencing project are underway that could shed light on the beasts.

"The quality of photos keeps getting better each year," Wang, who has been judging the contest since its inception, said in a statement. "Judging becomes more difficult when you have so many wonderful pictures to choose from."

For Wang, "this year’s standout was the great picture of the juvenile sperm whale taken by Douglas Kahle in Dominica – it is spectacular!" (That photo took home first place in the animal portrait category.)

In a new addition to the contest, an online "fan favorite" poll garnered more than 1,200 votes on the school's blog. The winner, Todd Aki's shot of a giant and graceful jellyfish, took nearly half of the votes.

The annual underwater photography contest is open to all amateur photographers who earn no more than 20 percent of their income from their photography.

Copyright 2012 LiveScience

Japanese artist Riusuke Fukahori says that he once struggled to find his creative vision, only to overcome that struggle with the help of his pet goldfish -- and what inspiration it must have been. The photo you see above appears to depict a wooden bowl, filled with dozens of circling fish, but there's much more to it than meets the eye. This is actually a work of art created through Fukahori's remarkably painstaking process of painting over multiple layers of resin to achieve a hauntingly lifelike, three-dimensional image.

Fukahori's work, part of a set called Goldfish Salvation currently on display at the ICN Gallery in London, employs a unique painting technique the artist developed to create convincingly realistic fish scenes. The resulting 3D artwork, while incredible in its creativity, actually serves as an ideal medium to express the subtle sense of melancholy felt in keeping a fish captive as a pet.

According to the artist's web site, while in a creative slump ten years ago, it was his pet goldfish which saved him from depression. Despite the fact that they're hardly exotic, goldfish do possess an otherworldly beauty -- yet in the very act of keeping that beauty at hand, we rob them of their freedom.






Here's video of Fukahori in action, offering a glimpse of his really quite magical process of painting in three-dimensions, and the equally magical work that results -- all thanks to the inspiration gained from a goldfish.
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Many of our fish species in the world are being fished into oblivion. But to kick off the new year the United States has, for the first time, moved to impose catch limits for every species it manages, from Alaskan pollock to Caribbean queen conch. The U.S. hasn't led on an environmental issue in a long time lagging behind it's European counterparts on anything from climate change to alternative energy options. But this U.S. effort will have a long term impact on all fish stock that it oversees.

What this means specifically is that this the first law that establishes mandatory catch limits for impacted species. There are over 528 commercially fished species that the U.S. oversees that will have distinct catch limits that prohibit overfishing and protect stocks that are rapidly being depleted. Recently a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers joined environmental groups, fishing interests and scientists to insert language in the law requiring each fishery to have annual catch limits in place by the end of 2011 to end overfishing.

Not everyone in the fishing industry was happy about this and a few fisheries did end up missing the deadline at the end of 2011. But all will comply in 2012 and there will be catch limits for all managed fish species by the end of the year. What is exciting about this new legislation is that it has also encouraged European nations to consider instituting similar catch limits to ward off the demise of their ailing fisheries. If we are to stop the global decline in fish stocks around the world, more efforts like the U.S. initiative will be needed in the very near future.