Creatures

*Pond Creatures*
Latin name	Common name	Remarks
Carassius auratus	Goldfish	Very hardy and breeds well. Active in warm water and low levels of oxygen. Lays eggs in spring. Fry are black, turning gold at about 6 months.
Carassius auratus variegatus	Shubunkin	Transparent scales make fish appear smooth skinned. Great many colors and variations.
Cyprinus carpio	Common Carp	Generally unsuitable for ornamental ponds because of propensity to burrow in mud and uproot plants.
Koi	Nishiki-goi	Originally bred in Japan. Originated from common carp. They have all of the undesirable traits of the carp to burrow and uproot plants.
Leuciscus idus	Orfe	Surface feeders consume midges and mosquitoes. Require larger bodies of water to breed.
Scardinius erythrophthalmus	Rudd	Mid-water and surface swimmers with dull red fins.
Salmo Trutta	Trout	Require cold highly oxygenated water. Rainbow trout will starve out native brown trout.
Tinca tinca	Green tench	Sometimes called the doctor fish. They are bottom dwellers and seldom seen.
Gambusia affinis	Mosquito fish	Small silvery-gray fish with metallic-blue sheen. Will freeze out in cold winters. Closely related to Guppies they bear live young.
Oryzias latipes auratus	Golden Japanese Medeka	Also known as rice fish. Very small. Will freeze out in cold winters.
Argyroneta aquatica	Water spider	Spins a silk dome to trap air.
Asellus aquaticus	Water louse	Similar in appearance to wood louse. Feeds on decaying plants. Valuable as fish food.
Corix and Notonecta species	Water boatman beetle	Appear to row themselves just under the water surface. Dependent upon air for oxygen. Can kill very young fish (fry).
Daphnia	Water fleas	Small crustaceans feed on algae. Very valuable as fish food.
Dytiscus marginalis	Great diving beetle	Both adults and larvae are carnivorous. Will attack larger animals.
Ephemera danica and other species	Mayflies	Well known to fishermen and loved by trout. Spend most of their lives under water surfacing to shed skins and take flight.
Gammarus pulex	Freshwater shrimp	Excellent for all ponds. Prefers alkaline water.
Gerris species	Pond skaters	Quickly adapt to new ponds. Dart about on water surface.
Gyrinus species	Whirligig beetle	Dart about on water surface. Harmless.
Hydrophilus piceus	Great silver diving beetle	Large silver black beetle about 2" with grasping claws on front legs to capture prey. Larvae crawl in weeds and feed on snails.
Nepal cinerea	Water scorpion	Lives in shallow water. Will attack and wound large fish.
Odonata species	Dragonflies Dragonfly Anatomy - dragonfly larva	Nymphs behave like water scorpions. Can spend as long as five years underwater before maturity. One of the most beautiful and graceful of the flying insects.
Dreissema polymorpha	Zebra mussel	Dark brown and beige striped. Can cause problems if there are no predators.
Unio pictorum	Painter's mussel	Radiating rings of dark brown and greenish gray. Female keeps eggs under mantle so young develop in safety.
Anodonta cygnea	Swan mussell	Readily available from suppliers. Needs fairly large pond. Will filter about 10 gallons of water a day.
Elliptio crassidens	Freshwater clam	Common fresh water mussel. Similar to swan mussel.
Planorbis corneus	Ramshorn snail	Mainly black, named for its shell. Lays eggs on underside of plant leaves.
Lymnaea peregra	Wandering snail	Dumpy dark brown little snails. Will lay eggs on any surface.
Lymnaea stagnalis	Great pond snail	Resembles spiral ice-cream cone. Lays eggs on submerged aquatics. Feeds on decaying vegetation and occasionally on animal food, dead or alive.
Viviparous malleatus	Japanese trapdoor snail	Can close up the opening to its shell. Slow to reproduce. Does not eat live plants.
Triturus cristatus or palustris	Great crested newt or salamander	Black spotted orange bellies. Male displays crest during mating season in spring.
T. vulgaris	Common newt or salamander	Hunts during the night. Lives under stones and logs.
T. helveticus	Palmated newt or salamander	Fairly common and lives at higher elevations. Males can be identified by webbed hind feet.
Rana temporaria	Common frog	Diet of flies and slugs makes them useful in the garden. Generally overwinters in pond mud or frost free hiding places on land.
R. clamitans	Green frog	Readily available as tadpoles. Large goldfish will eat tadpoles if they can catch them.
R. catesbina	Bull frog	Requires two seasons to mature. They can be a threat to all but the largest fish.
R. sphenocephala	Southern leopard frog	Seems to be on decline in natural environments.
R. pipiens	Northern leopard frog	Seems to be on decline in natural environments.
R. palustris	Pickerel frog	Seems to be on decline in natural environments.
R. esculenta	Edible frog	Spends more time in water than common frog. Croaks all night during mating season.
Bufo bufo	Common toad	Dumpier and fatter than a frog. Lays eggs in pond during spring mating season. Because of diet, very valuable in the garden.
Bufo calamita	Natterjack toad	Smaller than common toad. Yellow strip runs down back. Prefers dryer environment. Burrows to hide during the day.