Goldfish rape.

12 years ago

Well, I've seen it all now.

I was looking out over my pond about twenty feet away and thought nothing of the movement on the surface until I saw one of my goldfish struggling and leaping sideways out of the water. I ran out to find out what was going on and saw a dark shape taking the fish down deeper. I grabbed a net and fished it out, only to find a large frog gripping tightly onto my fish, sideways on. I had to literally prize each leg off to release the poor fish and there was a fine foam (draw your own conclusions)from the frog.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it. I know I've got a shortage of frogs since the heron discovered my pond two years ago, but this is astonishing.

Has anyone ever witnessed anything like this? If I have a rogue frog here, have I done the right thing by letting it go back in the pond?

No need to check the date, this isn't the 1st of April and it genuinely happened.

Big Kid

Comments (5)

Scotty24
12 years ago
When frogs are looking for females anything that moves is fair game. They will attach themselves to fish and cause damage(especially if they 'clamp' them across the gills)
So yes, I know this can happen but no, I haven't actually witnessed it!
big_kid
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi Scotty,

Great you're still around and thanks for replying to my problem! I had no idea this could happen and I'm really glad I was around because the poor fish looked like it was in a bad way, with no chance of escape. Perhaps it wouldn't have survived if I hadn't been able to rescue it.

I asked pondconswervation.org about this and I got a reply from Jo Fever who replied:
Frogs are not the brightest of creatures especially around the breeding season and they have been known to hang on to anything that moves in the hope it is a female frog! Toads are often victim to this and fish are occasionally caught too. It sadly is not as uncommon as you may think!

Oh dear, Mother Nature does make a few mistakes occasionally!!
Big Kid
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betsytimmins
11 years ago
...and now me too Big Kid!
Was just down at my pond and I saw what looked like a goldfish chasing a beige lump (well my pond is green!) After it doing a couple of 'crazy" circuits I got the net and scooped the fish out. This is the first time I've got up close and personal with any of my fish but it lay in the net, looking quite dead with the frog like some hat, clinging onto either side of the fish's gill openings.
Like you I had to literally shake the frog off, first one arm/hand, then the other until they were separate!
Poor fish, although it shot off once freed. Like you too I hesitated before I put the frog back in......

Just wish I'd taken my phone.
big_kid
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi Betsy,

A new person on the site - welcome!

The weather's been so rubbish that I think everyone's slow getting started this year and not checking this site regularly yet.

Fancy you having my problem! You were lucky your fish survived, because the frog had it held over the gills. What dumb creatures they appear to be.

My pond goes murky every spring,(cycling) but it sorts itself out eventually. I don't have a pump or a filter. I might be trying to teach my grandmother how to suck eggs here, so apologies if I am!

Happy ponding, everyone.

Big Kid
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bigjohnathan
3 months ago
this story gets me spruced up

Goldfish rape.

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Goldfish rape.

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