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The Sea in a Glass
From the ocean comes a lively kind of decoration.
Keeping ornamental fish as pets
is one of the most popular hobbies in the world.
Millions of people keep beautiful fish for their amazing
shapes and colors, as well as for the peaceful
aura they bring to an outdoor garden or a
living room.
The breeding of fish
specifically for use as
pets has its ___1___ in ancient China. Around 2,000 years
ago, farmers would raise silver crucian carp
for food in ponds and rice paddies. The
farmers noticed that some carp ___2___ bright golden and
orange scales. They began to
selectively breed those
mutated carp to
enhance the bright colors, and a hobby was born.
In the 17th century, Chinese goldfish made their way
___3___ Japan and Europe, and the Japanese quickly
mastered the art of fish breeding. From the
early 19th century, they started breeding the common
carp, creating beautiful nishikigoi, better known as koi. Europeans, ___4___,
experimented with keeping
other varieties of fish in glass
containers. The hobby became popular
among wealthy Europeans in the 1850s after special
equipment was developed. Articles
written by fishkeeping enthusiasts
appeared, ___5___ an
influential article
entitled "The Sea in a
Glass."
At first, only the very wealthy ___6___ afford equipment,
and only local varieties of fish were easily
available. Later, advancements
___7___ electricity, water filtration
systems, plastic bags, silicone, and air travel greatly
reduced the price of equipment and increased the
varieties of fish available. Now, beautiful fish from
all corners of the world can be found in your local pet
shop. |
