Orange-Bellied Blackfish

An orange-bellied blackfish (Cyprinichthys Indicus) is a species of medium-sized (goldfish-sized) freshwater fish part of the carp family native to the lakes, rivers, and man-made waterways of India and Southeast Asia. Unlike most other members of the carp family, the orange-bellied blackfish has large bulging eyes, resembling that of a celestial goldfish, in order for it to see well in the dark and can occasionally stick their eyes out of water to look out for aerial and land-based fish-eating predators. It is also named for being mostly black in color and has a bright orange underbelly, most likely to tell the fish from another fish of the different species. During the breeding seasons, males grow larger fan fins like domestic goldfish of many breeds, to attract the females (who have smaller fins than males during those times). It is an omnivore that feeds on crustaceans, smaller fish, fruits, vegetables, leaves, and even fallen insects and spiders. It is normally solitary in the wild in its native range, but is generally social in some of its nonnative range. The orange-bellied blackfish is listed as Least Concern as it tolerates from enormous amounts of pollution and is a common pet fish in pet trade as it breeds fast and is considered beautiful by many pet owners. It has since been introduced to Phillipines and North America, where they have became invasive species after being accidentally been brought there due to storms knocking over fish tanks containing orange-bellied blackfishes, and in North America, they swarm in large schools unlike in their native range due to abundant food sources and less predators.