Tag: Oranda behavior Flotation disorder swimbladder disease flipover disease fish intelligence goldfish

The story of Eggdrop, Part I

Eggdrop was born with “flotation-disorder” which means he can’t swim! He rolls around helplessly in the water, sometimes floats near the surface, sometimes sinks to the bottom, and generally has a tough time getting anywhere. His floppy little fins aren’t very strong either – he doesn’t have any reliable means of propulsion or steering.

So how does he get around? It depends on what kind of day it is. If it’s a “sideways” day, he scrabbles about sideways like a crab, using one fin to push along the gravel, and the other for stabilizing, with added boost from shooting water out of his mouth like a squid. If it’s a “headstanding” day, he bounces along on his mouth, like a balloon.

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