Questions Sea Life

How do Fish Get Into Ponds

How do Fish Get Into Ponds

There are many instances when a new pond is formed and you observe some fish swimming inside or when there is an old pond but it had no fish inside for years but suddenly you observe some fish swimming inside it. You may wonder how is this possible that the pond that had no fish inside suddenly has fish. It might seem like there may be some fish species already present inside the pond that did grow up into larger fish and now they appear moving and swimming.

fish in the pond

Possible Reasons for the Fish Moving to the Ponds

There are a number of reasons for how the fish travel from other sources to the ponds. Let’s discuss some of the major possible reasons:

They May Move Naturally

The ponds usually form from an existing system of water. For example, in the case of a natural disaster like flood, when the water moves between different regions, it creates ponds in empty places. As the moving water may come from a river or a lake, it may already have fish, algae and bugs inside that also moves along the moving water. This is how fish move to the ponds naturally.

Someone Brings Them to the Ponds 

It is also possible that the fish move from other places to the ponds via human beings, birds or animals. Sometimes, the predatory birds catch the fish from some other place near the pond and throw the fish into a pond by mistake. When this happens multiple times, the fish of the same species start reproducing in that pond. Similarly, some small fish may get stuck in the fur or feet of the local animals and when those animals walk near the pond or watch their fur or feet in the pond, the fish get into that pond. 

However, the most common reason for the fish getting into the pond is a human being that intentionally moves the fish into ponds. Sometimes, when the people get their pet fish to be free, they may move them to the ponds. 

They Themselves Move to the Ponds

There are some species of fish that survive in both the water and the land like waking catfish. These types of fish may travel from one pond to the other or they may travel from a big river to a small pond and start living and reproducing there. So, in such cases, there is no need for an external source to move them as they move on their own.

The Bottom-Line

It may seem mysterious how the fish move from other places to the ponds and then form communities over there but there are numerous reasons if we think logically. It is possible that the fish move to the ponds themselves if they can survive on dry land too, some predatory birds and animals may move them, a human being may throw them into the ponds or a natural disaster like flood may be a reason that fish moves to the ponds along with the water.

About the author

Hadia Atiq

A Writer passionate about learning and spreading the knowledge of sea life. I like to spread the knowledge of different types and species of fish and other aquatic creatures.