For many of us, a goldfish was our first pet. They are often thought of as simple fish with three-second memories, but the truth is much more interesting. Here are 12 facts about goldfish.
1Goldfish were first bred in China.
Goldfish come from a wild carp found in East Asia. More than 1,000 years ago, people in China noticed fish with unusual gold colouring and began breeding them in ponds.
2They reached Britain about 300 years ago.
Goldfish spread from China to Japan in the 1500s and reached Europe in the 1600s. By the 1700s they were a fashionable pet in British homes.
3The three-second memory is a myth.
Experiments have shown that goldfish can remember things for months. They can be trained to respond to sounds, lights or colours, to push levers for food and even to swim through small hoops.
4Goldfish have no stomach.
Food passes straight from the mouth into a long gut. Because they cannot store much food at once, goldfish do better with small meals than large ones.
5They can see colours we cannot.
Goldfish have four types of colour-sensing cells in their eyes, compared with our three, and can see ultraviolet light as well as red, green and blue.
6The oldest known goldfish lived to 43.
Tish, a goldfish won at a fairground in North Yorkshire in 1956, died in 1999 at the age of 43, according to Guinness World Records. With good care, many goldfish live for 10 to 15 years.
7They can grow to the size of a dinner plate.
Kept in small bowls, goldfish stay small and often die young. In big ponds or in the wild they can grow to 30 centimetres or more.
8Released goldfish can become a pest.
Goldfish dumped in lakes and rivers can grow large, breed quickly and stir up mud, harming native wildlife. Giant goldfish have been found in places such as Lake Tahoe in the US and rivers in Australia. They should never be released into the wild.
9Goldfish can make alcohol to survive.
In frozen ponds with no oxygen, goldfish can survive for months by turning lactic acid into alcohol, which they release through their gills. A study in 2017 found the genes that make this possible.
10They are cold-water fish.
Goldfish do best in cool water and should not be kept with tropical fish, which need warmer water. They also produce a lot of waste, so they need a good filter and plenty of space.
11Rome banned goldfish bowls.
In 2005, the city of Rome banned round goldfish bowls as cruel, along with other animal welfare rules.
12Goldfish can no longer be given as prizes to children.
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence in England and Wales to give an animal, including a goldfish, as a prize to a child under 16 who is not with an adult.
FAQs about goldfish
How long do goldfish live?
With good care, usually 10 to 15 years, and sometimes more than 20. The record is 43 years.
Do goldfish need a filter?
Yes. Goldfish produce a lot of waste, so they need a tank with a filter, regular partial water changes and tap water treated with a conditioner.
Can goldfish live alone?
They can, but they are social fish and usually do better with other goldfish, as long as the tank is big enough.
Sources and further reading
Explore more: facts about catfish and facts about sharks.
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