CLIPBOARD : PACIFIC GOLDFISH FARM

Exotic is the best word to describe Pacific Goldfish Farm’s glittering, elegant creatures. Appropriately, their names are as interesting as their appearance: Shubunkin, Showa, Taisho Sanke and Utsura.

Joe Akiyama raises and sells goldfish and koi at the farm, on a site that belonged to his grandfather. It is one of Orange County’s oldest businesses, dating back to the 1920s. It originated on farmland and once occupied all of what is now Westminster Mall. Today it’s located on a 1-acre site on Golden West Street, near the San Diego Freeway.

The fish are kept in raised ponds, and visitors are encouraged to observe them. The youngest ones are a flurry of activity, darting about in search of food. Their scales, often glittering or metallic, catch the light and the ponds are a swirling rainbow of color. The big fish are calmer, providing an almost hypnotic atmosphere.

“That’s why people keep koi in their back yard,” Akiyama said. “They come home in the evening after being on the freeway and they need to relax. So they sit and watch the fish for a while.”

For collectors, the fish often become part of the family. They swim to the edge of the pond when their owners approach, just like a dog greets its master. They know the sounds that occur just before feeding time.

The fish are bred in Japan, and arrive in California via special air freight. Akiyama picks them up at LAX and places the newcomers in special ponds until they get over their jet lag.

Prices for koi, which belong to the same family as carp, range from two for $25 to more than $1,000. The price is determined by size and color pattern. Fantail goldfish sell for $1.95 to more than $100.

The koi must have filtered water and do better in outdoor ponds. The goldfish can be kept in unfiltered aquariums or ponds, as long as enough oxygen is provided by plants.

Akiyama also sells fiberglass ponds and equipment needed to maintain them.

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday Address: 14700 Golden West St., Westminster Telephone: (714) 893-7105