Species · GBIF taxon 4286942
Goldfish
Carassius auratusAlso known as Domesticated Goldfish, Golden Carp
Selective breeding over more than a millennium in China transformed wild carp into vibrant, highly varied ornamental fish with exceptional memory and social recognition. Goldfish process sound using specialized Weberian ossicles and possess trichromatic vision that enables them to see ultraviolet light alongside visible color. When released into natural waterways, these hardy generalists rapidly revert to dull olive colors, reach surprising sizes, and disrupt native ecosystems by stirring up benthic sediment.
FreshwaterAquaticDomesticated
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Aquatic Insects
- Algae
- Small Crustaceans
Predators
- Herons
- Kingfishers
- Pike
ThreatsPredation by larger fish and aquatic birds; water pollution in wild populations
HabitatsPonds, slow-moving rivers, lakes, flooded ditches, aquariums
Life span10–15 years in captivity (up to 30+ years with proper care)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderCypriniformes
- FamilyCyprinidae
- GenusCarassius
- SpeciesCarassius auratus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look for active foraging along pond bottoms where individuals sift through sediment for food.
- Aquarium Care: Provide ample water volume and filtration as these generalists produce substantial metabolic waste.
- Conservation: Never release captive individuals into local waterways where they easily become invasive.
Wild Ancestor (c) Gilles San Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Ornamental Counterpart Mike Prince from Bangalore, India / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Close Relative Viridiflavus / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Family Member George Chernilevsky / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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