Goldfish, species of
soft-finned, freshwater fish of the minnow family. Goldfish usually measure
about 8 to 15 cm (about 3 to 6 in) in length, although some have attained a size
exceeding 30 cm (12 in).
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| Goldfish |
Goldfish are exceptionally long-lived and have been
reported to reach an age of 70 years. Goldfish are native to eastern Asia, but
they have been successfully introduced into fresh waters throughout the world.
In their natural state, goldfish are olive green in color and subsist on weeds
and small invertebrates. The occasional differences in color and form that they
exhibit have been perpetuated and accentuated among domestic varieties by
careful breeding. Upon escaping to a less protected environment, such as a
river, selection for unusual color or form is not maintained and the species
usually reverts to its natural, olive-green color.
The best-known domestic varieties of goldfish are golden
red. Blind, albino forms have been produced by the Chinese, and varieties of
these, completely white, or white with red fins, or silvery, compose the
important fancy breeds of silverfishes. The telescope fishes are another
important breed, developed by the Japanese, that are characterized by short,
round bodies, broad heads with protruding eyes, and large bilobed or trilobed
tails. In common varieties of this breed the eyes are turned outward, but in the
celestial telescopes they are directed upward. The veiltails, or fringetails,
are a fancy breed marked by long, veil-like fins; the calicoes are spotted
goldfishes of any breed; and the fantails are goldfishes with two tails and two
top fins.
Goldfish have been bred for many centuries in China.
Japanese culturists learned the art from the Chinese and carried their interest
in the species to the point of holding annual goldfish exhibits throughout the
country.
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| Japan Goldfish |
Goldfish are reported to have been introduced into England in 1691 and
into France in the middle of the 18th century, when specimens were received as
gifts by the marquise de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV. Today they are
produced in many countries on a sizable commercial scale. One goldfish hatchery,
near Frederick, Maryland, occupies 40 hectares (100 acres) and has an annual
production of 5 million fish.
Goldfish thrive in large tanks or outdoor pools supplied
with clean, well-aerated water kept at a temperature of 18° C (65° F). Their
optimum diet is a mix of weeds, worms, small shellfish, and insects. Under such
conditions they breed several times a year.
Scientific classification: The goldfish belongs to
the family Cyprinidae. It is classified as Carassius auratus.