Goldfish

Goldfish
Normal goldfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Cypriniformes Family: Cyprinidae Genus: Carassius Species: C. auratus Subspecies: C. a. auratus
Trinomial name
Carassius auratus auratus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) are a species of domesticated fish. Goldfish belong to the carp family and were domesticated in China in the Tang Dynasty. They can reach up to 59 cm in size, and 3 kg in weight. This is very rare though, and most goldfish grow to only half that size or less. In captivity, goldfish can live for up to 20 years. In the aquarium, however, most will die earlier because their tank is much too small. Goldfish need a lot of space so they have room to swim and so the water does not get dirty too fast. It is sometimes said that goldfish have very short memories, but scientists have proven that this is not true. One person trained a goldfish to kick a small ball under water and another trained a goldfish to swim through a maze.

There are many kinds of goldfish. The most common kind is golden-colored, but goldfish come in many different shapes and sizes. Many gold fish have fancy tails. Another common kind is called a black moor, which is black colored.

Goldfish are very sensitive and should not be stroked. Touching them can hurt them and make them sick.

Wild Goldfish are called prussian carp and are silver-green in colour.

Goldfish can get sick. They can have big stomachs filled with liquids (water) or can get spotty because of bad bacteria, and some lose control of swimming because a special organ in their belly, called a swim bladder, gets sick and stops working. However, sick goldfishes can be cured with medicine. Pet shops or veterinarians can help goldfish get better when they are sick. One simple way to help your goldfish if it has indigestion is to feed them peas, as this will help their digestive track work properly.