

A relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the Prussian carp and the crucian carp), the goldfish is native to East Asia. It was first selectively bred in ancient China more than 1,000 years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration and coloration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).


painting of many swimming fish, mostly in shades of tan
Ryukin goldfish, Plate XIX in: Goldfish and Their Culture in Japan, by Shinnosuke Matsubara.

Starting in ancient China, various species of carp (collectively known as Asian carp) have been bred and reared as food fish for thousands of years. Some of these normally gray or silver species have a tendency to produce red, orange or yellow color mutations; this was first recorded during the Jin dynasty (AD 265–420).[4][5]

During the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), it was popular to raise carp in ornamental ponds and water gardens. A natural genetic mutation produced gold (actually yellowish orange) rather than silver coloration. People began to breed the gold variety instead of the silver variety, keeping them in ponds or other bodies of water. On special occasions at which guests were expected, they would be moved to a much smaller container for display.[6][7]

By the Song dynasty (AD 960–1279), the selective domestic breeding of goldfish was firmly established.[8] In 1162, the empress of the Song Dynasty ordered the construction of a pond to collect the red and gold variety. By this time, people outside the imperial family were forbidden to keep goldfish of the gold (yellow) variety, yellow being the imperial color. This is probably the reason why there are more orange goldfish than yellow goldfish, even though the latter are genetically easier to breed.[9] The occurrence of other colors (apart from red and gold) was first recorded in 1276.[citation needed]

During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), goldfish also began to be raised indoors,[5] which permitted selection for mutations that would not be able to survive in ponds.[6] The first occurrence of fancy-tailed goldfish was recorded in the Ming Dynasty. In 1603, goldfish were introduced to Japan.[6] In 1611, goldfish were introduced to Portugal and from there to other parts of Europe.[6]

During the 1620s, goldfish were highly regarded in southern Europe because of their metallic scales, and symbolized good luck and fortune. It became a tradition for married men to give their wives a goldfish on their first anniversary, as a symbol for the prosperous years to come. This tradition quickly died, as goldfish became more available, losing their status. Goldfish were first introduced to North America around 1850 and quickly became popular in the United States.[10][11]



As of April 2008, the largest goldfish in the world was believed by the BBC to measure 19 inches (48 cm), and to be living in the Netherlands.[12] At the time, a goldfish named "Goldie", kept as a pet in a tank in Folkestone, England, was measured as 15 inches (38 cm) and over 2 pounds (0.91 kg), and named as the second largest in the world behind the Netherlands fish.[12] The secretary of the Federation of British Aquatic Societies (FBAS) stated of Goldie's size, "I would think there are probably a few bigger goldfish that people don't think of as record holders, perhaps in ornamental lakes".[12] In July 2010, a goldfish measuring 16 inches (41 cm) and 5 pounds (2.3 kg) was caught in a pond in Poole, England, thought to have been abandoned there after outgrowing a tank.[13]


Goldfish have one of the most studied senses of vision in fishes.[14] Goldfish have four kinds of cone cells, which are respectively sensitive to different colors: red, green, blue and ultraviolet. The ability to distinguish between four different primary colors classifies them as tetrachromats.[15]


Goldfish have one of the most studied senses of hearing in fish.[16] They have two otoliths, permitting the detection of sound particle motion, and Weberian ossicles connecting the swimbladder to the otoliths, facilitating the detection of sound pressure.[17]

Cognitive abilities



Goldfish have a memory-span of at least three months and can distinguish between different shapes, colors and sounds.[18][19] By using positive reinforcement, goldfish can be trained to recognize and to react to light signals of different colors[20] or to perform tricks.[21] Fish respond to certain colors most evidently in relation to feeding.[citation needed] Fish learn to anticipate feedings provided they occur at around the same time every day.





Various types of prepared fish food

In the wild, the diet of goldfish consists of crustaceans, insects, and various plant matter. Like most fish, they are opportunistic feeders and do not stop eating on their own accord. Overfeeding can be deleterious to their health, typically by blocking the intestines. This happens most often with selectively bred goldfish, which have a convoluted intestinal tract. When excess food is available, they produce more waste and feces, partly due to incomplete protein digestion. Overfeeding can sometimes be diagnosed by observing feces trailing from the fish's cloaca.







Breeding goldfish by the hobbyist is the process of selecting adult fish to reproduce, allowing them to reproduce and then raising the resulting offspring while continually removing fish that do not approach the desired pedigree.[23]

Goldfish eggs showing cell division
Newly hatched goldfish fry (Ryukin)


The market for live goldfish and other crucian carp usually imported from China was $1.2 million in 2018. Some high quality varieties cost between $125 to $300.[24]



Selective breeding over centuries has produced several color variations, some of them far removed from the "golden" color of the original fish. There are also different body shapes, and fin and eye configurations. Some extreme versions of the goldfish live only in aquariums—they are much less hardy than varieties closer to the "wild" original. However, some variations are hardier, such as the Shubunkin. Currently, there are about 300 breeds recognized in China.[5] The vast majority of goldfish breeds today originated from China.[5] Some of the main varieties are:

Common goldfish Black Telescope Bubble Eye
Common goldfish come in a variety of colors including red, orange, "gold", white, black, and yellow ('lemon') goldfish. ワキン20120701.JPG The Black telescope is a black-colored variant of telescope goldfish that has a characteristic pair of protruding eyes. It is also referred to as popeye, moor, kuro-demekin in Japan and dragon-eye in China. Black Moor Goldfish.jpg The small, fancy Bubble Eye has no dorsal fin and upward pointing eyes accompanied by two large fluid-filled sacs. Bubble Eye goldfish.jpg
Celestial Eye Comet Fantail
Lionhead Oranda Pearlscale
The fancy lionhead has a hood. This fish is the precursor to the ranchu. LionheadGoldfishSideviewRodsan18b.jpg The fancy oranda is characterised by a prominent raspberry-like hood (also known as wen or head growth) that encases the whole head and some with the entire face, except for the eyes and mouth. OrangeOranda.jpg The fancy pearlscale or chinshurin in Japanese, is spherical-bodied with finnage similar to the fantail and . Its scales are protruded into white domes that remind one of pearls. Goldfish Pearl Scale.jpg
Pompom Ryukin Shubunkin
The fancy Pompoms or pompons or hanafusa have bundles of loose fleshy outgrowths between the nostril, called nasal boquettes, on each side of the head. Chocolate Oranda with Red pompoms 2.jpg The ryukin has a short, deep body with a characteristic shoulder hump. Goldfish Ryukin.jpg Fancy and hardy Japanese Shubunkins (朱文金) (translated literally as "red brocade") have a single tail with nacreous scales, and a pattern known as calico. Clear shubunkin.jpg
Telescope Ranchu Panda Telescope
The fancy telescope is characterized by its protruding eyes. It is also known as the globe eye or dragon eye goldfish. DragonEye (bottom).jpg The fancy Japanese ranchu is hooded. The Japanese refer to it as the "king of goldfish". Goldfish Ranchu 2.jpg The fancy panda telescope is another colored variant of telescope goldfish. Pandamoor.jpg
Veiltail Butterfly tail Meteor goldfish
The fancy veiltail is known for its extra-long, flowing double tail. Modern veiltail standards require little or no indentation of the trailing edges of the caudal fins, as in a wedding veil for a bride. Welon (ryba).JPG The butterfly tail moor or butterfly telescope is of the telescope-eye lineage, with twin broad tails best viewed from above. The spread of the caudal fins resembles butterflies underwater. Calico-butterfly-tail-demekin.png The meteor goldfish is a strange-looking variety that has been developed by specialist breeders of fancy goldfish. It has no tail fin, hence its name.[25][26]
Lionchu Egg-fish goldfish Shukin
The Lionchu or lionhead-ranchu is a fancy goldfish that has resulted from crossbreeding lionheads and ranchus.[27][28] Goldfish Lionchu first orize winner.jpg The egg-fish goldfish is a fancy goldfish that lacks a dorsal fin and has a pronounced egg-shaped body.[29][30] Eggfish.jpg The Shukin is a Ranchu-like goldfish developed from Ranchus and Orandas at the end of the 19th century in Japan.
Curled-gill goldfish Tamasaba Tosakin
The Curled-gill or Reversed-gill goldfish is another uncommon variety of fancy goldfish that has been developed by specialist enthusiasts. It owes its name to the out-turned appearance of its gill covers.[26][31] Curled gill goldfish.jpg The Tamasaba or Sabao is an uncommon Japanese variety of goldfish with a body shaped similar to the Ryukin and a very long, flowing, single tail that is similar to that of a comet goldfish, hence its other name, comet-tail ryukin. Tamasaba or Sabao.jpg The Tosakin is a very distinctive breed of goldfish with a large tail fin that spreads out horizontally (like a fan) behind the fish, followed by the bottom tips folding behind its caudal fin. Though technically a divided tail, the two halves are attached at the center/middle forming a single fin. Tosakin.JPG
White Telescope
The White telescope is a white variant of telescope goldfish that has a white body and a characteristic pair of protruding eyes. A white telescope goldfish in an aquarium along with the telescope goldfish.jpg


Chinese tradition classifies goldfish into four main types.[32] These classifications are not commonly used in the West.

  • Wen—Goldfish having a fancy tail, e.g., Fantails and Veiltails ("Wen" is also the name of the characteristic headgrowth on such strains as Oranda and Lionhead)
  • Dragon Eye—Goldfish having extended eyes, e.g., Black Moor, Bubble Eye, and Telescope Eye
  • Egg—Goldfish having no dorsal fin, usually with an 'egg-shaped' body, e.g., Lionhead (note that a Bubble Eye without a dorsal fin belongs to this group)

Related species

A golden colored fish with silvery highlights, facing right
A crucian carp (Carassius carassius)
A pale silvery and brownish fish, facing left
A wild Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio)
An orange colored fish, facing right

Where it was believed for some time that Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) were the closest wild relative of the goldfish.[33][34] modern genetic sequencing has proven otherwise.[35] C. auratus are differentiated from other Carassius species by several characteristics. C. auratus have a more pointed snout, while the snout of C. carassius is well rounded. C. gibelio often has a grayish/greenish color, while crucian carp are always golden bronze. Juvenile crucian carp have a black spot on the base of the tail, which disappears with age. In C. auratus, this tail spot is never present. C. auratus have fewer than 31 scales along the lateral line, while crucian carp have 33 scales or more.

Like their wild ancestors, common and comet goldfish as well as Shubunkin can survive, and even thrive, in any climate that can support a pond, whereas fancy goldfish are unlikely to survive in the wild as their bright colors and long fins make them easy prey. Goldfish can hybridize with certain other Carassius as well as other species of carp. Within three breeding generations, the vast majority of the hybrid spawn revert to the wild type color. Koi and common carp may also interbreed with goldfish to produce sterile hybrids.


Pool Fisheries, a goldfish farm in Lonoke, Arkansas.

In aquaria



Like all fish, goldfish do not like to be petted. In fact, touching a goldfish can endanger its health, because it can cause the protective slime coat to be damaged or removed, exposing the fish's skin to infection from bacteria or water-born parasites. However, goldfish respond to people by surfacing at feeding time, and can be trained or acclimated to taking pellets or flakes from human fingers. The reputation of goldfish dying quickly is often due to poor care.[37] The lifespan of goldfish in captivity can extend beyond 10 years.[38]


Because goldfish eat live plants, their presence in a planted aquarium can be problematic. Only a few aquarium plant species (for example Cryptocoryne and Anubias) can survive around goldfish, but they require special attention so that they are not uprooted. Plastic plants are more durable.[citation needed]

In ponds





For mosquito control

Like some other popular aquarium fish, such as the guppy, goldfish and other carp are frequently added to stagnant bodies of water to reduce mosquito populations. They are used to prevent the spread of West Nile virus, which relies on mosquitoes to migrate. However, introducing goldfish has often had negative consequences for local ecosystems.[39]

Welfare concerns

The Japanese game of goldfish scooping

Fishbowls are detrimental to the health of goldfish and are prohibited by animal welfare legislation in several municipalities.[40][41] The practice of using bowls as permanent fish housing originated from a misunderstanding of Chinese "display" vessels: goldfish which were normally housed in ponds were, on occasion, temporarily displayed in smaller containers to be better admired by guests.[6]

Goldfish kept in bowls or "mini-aquariums" suffer from death, disease, and stunting, due primarily to the low oxygen and very high ammonia/nitrite levels inherent in such an environment.[42] In comparison to other common aquarium fish, goldfish have high oxygen needs and produce a large amount of waste; therefore they require a substantial volume of well-filtered water to thrive. In addition, all goldfish varieties have the potential to reach 5 inches (12.7 cm) in total length, with single-tailed breeds often exceeding one foot (30.5 cm). Single-tailed varieties include common and comet goldfish.

In many countries, carnival and fair operators commonly give goldfish away in plastic bags as prizes. In late 2005 Rome banned the use of goldfish and other animals as carnival prizes. Rome has also banned the use of "goldfish bowls", on animal cruelty grounds,[40] as well as Monza, Italy, in 2004.[41] In the United Kingdom, the government proposed banning this practice as part of its Animal Welfare Bill,[43][44] though this has since been amended to only prevent goldfish being given as prizes to unaccompanied minors.[45]


Although edible and closely related to some fairly widely eaten species, goldfish are rarely eaten. A fad among American college students for many years was swallowing goldfish as a stunt and as a fraternity initiation process. The first recorded instance was in 1939 at Harvard University.[46] The practice gradually fell out of popularity over the course of several decades and is rarely practiced today.


See also


  1. ^ NatureServe (2016). "Carassius auratus ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. ^ "Goldfish". Ocean Park. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Background information about goldfish". Bristol Aquarists' Society. Retrieved 2006-07-28.
  9. ^ "goldfish". Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved 2013-02-28.
  10. ^ Brunner, Bernd (2003). The Ocean at Home. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 978-1-56898-502-2.
  11. ^ Mulertt, Hugo (1883). The Goldfish And Its Systematic Culture With A View To Profit. Cincinnati [McDonald & Eick, print.] Retrieved 2009-07-07.
  14. ^ Neumeyer, C. (2003). "Color Vision in Fishes and Its Neural Basis". In Collin, S.P.; Marshall, N.J. (eds.). Sensory Processing in Aquatic Environments. New York: Springer-Verlag. p. 223. In goldfish, as the best investigated fish species[...]
  15. ^ Neumeyer, Christa (1988). Das Farbensehen des Goldfisches: Eine verhaltensphysiologische Analyse. G. Thieme. ISBN 978-3137187011.
  16. ^ Ladich, F., & Fay, R. R. (2013). Auditory evoked potential audiometry in fish. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 23(3), 317-364.
  17. ^ FAY, R. R., & POPPER, A. N. (1974). Acoustic stimulation of the ear of the goldfish (Carassius auratus). Journal of Experimental Biology, 61(1), 243-260.
  18. ^ Research by the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth in 1994. Goldfish were trained to push a lever to earn a food reward; when the lever was fixed to work only for an hour a day, the fish soon learned to activate it at the correct time. See: Gee, P; Stephenson, D; Wright, DE (July 1994). "Temporal discrimination learning of operant feeding in goldfish". Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 62 (1): 1–13. doi:10.1901/jeab.1994.62-1. PMC 1334363. PMID 16812735.
  19. ^ The Discovery Channel's show MythBusters tested the contemporary legend that goldfish only had a memory span of three seconds and were able to prove that goldfish had a longer memory span than commonly believed. The experiment involved training the fish to navigate a maze. It was evident that they were able to remember the correct path of the maze after more than a month. MythBuster Results: A goldfish’s memory lasts only three seconds
  20. ^ Demonstrated in a 1994 public experiment at the Palais de la Découverte science museum. The experimental details and results are described in: "Poissons rouges: la mémoire dans l'eau". Revue du Palais de la Découverte. 217. April 1994.
  23. ^ [1] Breeding fancy goldfish
  24. ^ Selyukh, Alina (2019-10-16). "The Goldfish Tariff: Fancy Pet Fish Among The Stranger Casualties Of The Trade War". NPR. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  27. ^ ""What is a Lionchu?" by Peter Ponzio, an article from the Goldfish Pages Website (Goldfish Society of America), date retrieved: 28 February 2013" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-25.
  30. ^ "Nutrafin Aquatic News, Issue #4, 2004, Rolf C. Hagen, Inc. (USA) and Rolf C. Hagen Corp. (Montreal, Canada)". Archived from the original on 2011-11-21. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  32. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-10. Retrieved 2015-08-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  33. ^ Komiyama, Tomoyoshi; Hiroyuki Kobayashi; Yoshio Tateno; Hidetoshi Inoko; Takashi Gojobori; Kazuho Ikeo (February 2009). "An evolutionary origin and selection process of goldfish". Gene. 430 (1–2): 5–11. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2008.10.019. PMID 19027055.
  34. ^ Les Pearce. "Common Gold Fish". Aquarticles. Archived from the original on 28 May 2006. Retrieved 20 June 2006.
  35. ^ Wang, Shu-Yan; Jing Luo; Robert W. Murphy; Shi-Fang Wu; Chu-Ling Zhu; Yun Gao; Ya-Ping Zhang (19 March 2013). "Origin of Chinese Goldfish and Sequential Loss of Genetic Diversity Accompanies New Breeds". PLOS ONE. 430 (3): e59571. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...859571W. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059571. PMC 3602300. PMID 23527220.
  36. ^ "Goldfish". Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  37. ^ "Goldfish". Archived from the original on 2011-12-12. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  38. ^ "Goldfish has brain operation". BBC News. 2014-09-15.
  39. ^ William L. Arnold; William L. Anderson (2001). Biotechnology Deskbook. Environmental Law Institute. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-58576-029-9.
  40. ^ a b Knight, Sam (2005-10-26). "Rome bans goldfish bowls, orders dog owners on walks – World – Times Online". The Times. London. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
  41. ^ a b "Council bans goldfish bowls". ABC Australian Broadcast Corporation. 2004-07-23. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  42. ^ "5 reasons not to use goldfish bowls". Goldfish Care Guide. 2008-03-05. Archived from the original on 2018-05-25. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
  43. ^ "Defra, UK – Animal Health and Welfare – Animal Welfare – Animal Welfare Bill". Archived from the original on 2006-08-20. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
  44. ^ BBC News Online - Goldfish are no longer to be given as prizes
  45. ^ BBC News Online - Ban on goldfish prizes 'dropped'
  46. ^ "Swallowing Goldfish". Archived from the original on 2006-06-18. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
  47. ^ Laylin, Tafline (2012-03-19). "5 Million Goldfish Die for Nowruz – the Iranian New Year". Green Prophet.
  48. ^ "Iran: A Nowruz New Year Without Goldfish? · Global Voices". 16 March 2012.

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