“A report to the French Academy of Sciences tells of a unique experiment in combating a mosquito plague. Myriads of mosquitoes infest the rice plantations of Madagascar, and it occurred to Dr. Legendre to fight the marsh fever [malaria] caused by the bite of the mosquito by introducing into the watercourses the ‘Cyprin’ or red fish [goldfish], which is a glutton as a devourer of mosquitoes. Dr. Legendre introduced 500 of these fishes into the streams of one district, and in five months they had multiplied and destroyed all the mosquitoes. The red fish are also proving an important addition to the stock of food.”
—Scientific American, February 1917
More gems from Scientific American’s first 175 years can be found on our anniversary archive page.