Goldfish
Goldfish, classified as carp-like fish in the family Cyprinidae, are freshwater fish originating from eastern Asia. Their domestication began around 1000 years ago during China's Sung dynasty, making them popular court pets. While wild goldfish typically have a dull olive to dark brown appearance and can grow up to 16 inches, domestic varieties are usually brassy red and range from 1 to 2 inches in length. There are several popular breeds of aquarium goldfish, including the celestial goldfish, veiltail goldfish, lionhead goldfish, and telescope black moor, each distinguished by unique physical traits.
Goldfish are omnivorous, feeding on plants, algae, and small organisms. They reproduce through spawning, with a typical incubation period for eggs lasting between two to seven days. While domestic goldfish can live approximately 10 to 15 years, wild goldfish can exceed 40 years in lifespan. Though they are generally easy to care for, they require regular feeding and clean water. However, when released into the wild, domestic goldfish can become invasive, outcompeting native species for resources. Despite this, both wild and domestic goldfish are not considered threatened.
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Goldfish
The origin of the aquarium goldfish is not known for certain, but scientists have classified it as a carp-like fish. Wild goldfish originally inhabited freshwater streams and lakes in eastern Asia. The smaller domesticated aquarium goldfish first appeared as court pets in China during the Sung dynasty, or rule, about 1000 years ago. They did not reach Europe until about the 17th century.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Carassius
Species: Auratus
Domestic goldfish are a brassy red color, but wild goldfish are much duller in appearance. Wild goldfish are usually olive to dark brown. While domestic goldfish only grow to be one to two inches (2 1/2 to five centimeters) long, wild goldfish may grow to be up to 16 inches (40 1/2 centimeters) long. Wild goldfish weigh up to six pounds (2 2/3 kilograms). On rare occasions, wild goldfish have been found to be even larger than these numbers.
Like many other fish, goldfish breathe through gills located on the sides of their heads. They take in water with their mouths, use the oxygen, and push the unnecessary chemicals out through their gills.
Goldfish are freshwater fish. Although the exact origin of goldfish is not known, scientists have classified them as carp-like fish, and have placed them in the family Cyprinidae along with the common carp and many minnows. It is suspected that goldfish originally only lived in eastern Asia, but they have now been distributed throughout North America by humans. Domestic aquarium-size goldfish first appeared about 1000 years ago as court pets in China during the Sung dynasty, or rule.
Many different breeds of domesticated aquarium goldfish may now be purchased at pet stores throughout the world. The four most popular breeds of domestic goldfish are the celestial goldfish, the veiltail goldfish, the lionhead goldfish, and the telescope black moor, or black goldfish. Celestial goldfish were given the name celestial because their eyes are permanently looking upward to the heavens. These goldfish do not have dorsal, or back, fins. Veiltail goldfish are very beautiful, exotic-looking fish. Their caudal, or tail fins, are usually split to look as though they have two tails. In general, these goldfish have long, flowing fins and round, puffy bodies. Lionhead goldfish were given their name for their puffy faces which resemble a lion's mane. Telescope black moors, or black goldfish, are black fish with bulging eyes.
If any species of domestic goldfish is let into the wild, its young will look more and more like wild goldfish with each generation. After about three generations of young, it will be impossible to tell if one of these goldfish's grandparents was a wild or a domestic species.
Both wild and domestic goldfish are omnivorous, eating both plants and meat. Goldfish generally live off of a diet of plants, algae, and microscopic organisms. Flakes of dried foods can be purchased at pet stores to feed domestic aquarium goldfish.
Mating season for goldfish usually takes place in the spring. The females release their eggs and the males swim over them and fertilize them. This process of releasing and fertilizing eggs is known as spawning. Goldfish eggs have an incubation period of between two and seven days. An incubation period is the growth period between the fertilizing and hatching of eggs. For the first few days after birth, young goldfish, called fry, live off of their egg sacs. Eventually they begin eating tiny, aquatic, or water-living, microorganisms.
Wild goldfish have a life span of over 40 years, while domestic aquarium goldfish have a life span of between 10 and 15 years. Aquarium goldfish are usually quite easy to keep as pets, but they must be fed regularly and their water must be kept clean. In the wild goldfish are at risk from predators, including wading birds, raccoons, snakes, turtles, coyotes, and foxes. However, they are not considered a threatened species. Because people have released their pet goldfish into the wild, they have become an invasive species in North America where they outcompete other native fish for food.
Bibliography
Bales, Rebecca. “Goldfish Animal Facts - Carassius Auratus.” A-Z Animals, 10 May 2023, a-z-animals.com/animals/goldfish. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.
Mohr, Kylie. “Goldfish, Facts and Photos.” National Geographic, 2024, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/goldfish. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.