{| ! style="BACKGROUND: pink" | Goldfish | http://www.answers.com/main/Record2?a=NR&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FImage%3AGoldfish%2520Pearl%2520Scale.jpg
A Hama Nishiki goldfish (a relation of the http://www.answers.com/topic/pearlscale fancy
goldfish variety)
FOR SPECIFIC TANK TEMPERATURE INFO GO TO LAST PARAGRAPH ON THIS PAGE.
! http://www.answers.com/topic/conservation-status | http://www.answers.com/main/Record2?a=NR&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FImage%3AStatus%2520iucn3.1%2520LC.svg
least-concern
! style="BACKGROUND: pink" | http://www.answers.com/topic/infraclass | Kingdom: http://www.answers.com/topic/animal-def-leppard-song
Phylum: http://www.answers.com/topic/chordate
Class: http://www.answers.com/topic/actinopterygii
Order: http://www.answers.com/topic/cypriniformes-1
Family: http://www.answers.com/topic/cyprinid
Genus: carassius-2
Species: goldfish
Subspecies: C. a. auratus/C. a. gibelio
! http://www.answers.com/topic/trinomial-nomenclature | Carassius auratus auratus
(http://www.answers.com/topic/carolus-linnaeus, 1758)For the baked snack crackers, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfish-snack. The goldfish, Carassius auratus, was one of the earliest http://www.answers.com/topic/fish to be http://www.answers.com/topic/domestication-3, and is still one of the most commonly kept http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-freshwater-aquarium-fish-species and http://www.answers.com/topic/water-garden fish. A relatively small member of the http://www.answers.com/topic/cyprinid family, the goldfish is a domesticated version of a dark-gray/brown carp native to http://www.answers.com/topic/east-asia. It was first domesticated in http://www.answers.com/topic/china-13http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfish?cat=health#wp-_note-bristol and introduced to http://www.answers.com/topic/Europe in the late 17th century. Goldfish may grow to a maximum length of 23 inches (59 cm) and a maximum weight of 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg), although this is rare; few goldfish reach even half this size. In optimal conditions, goldfish may live more than 20 years, but most household goldfish generally live only six to eight years, due to being kept in bowls.http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfish?cat=health#wp-_note-0 A group of goldfish is known as a troubling.http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfish?cat=health#wp-_note-1 During the http://www.answers.com/topic/tang-dynasty, it was popular to bam the carp in ponds. As the result of a http://www.answers.com/topic/incomplete-dominance genetic http://www.answers.com/topic/mutation, one of these carp displayed gold (actually yellowish orange) rather than silver coloration. People began to breed the gold variety instead of the silver variety, and began to display them in small containers. The fish were not kept in the containers permanently, but would be kept in a larger body of water, such as a pond, and only for special occasions at which guests were expected would they be moved to the much smaller container.http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfish?cat=health#wp-_note-bristol In 1162, the http://www.answers.com/topic/emperor of the http://www.answers.com/topic/song-dynasty-1 ordered the construction of a pond to collect the red and gold variety of those carp. By this time, people outside the royal family were forbidden to keep goldfish of the gold (yellow) variety, yellow being the royal color. This probably is the reason why there are more orange goldfish than yellow goldfish, even though the latter are genetically easier to breed.http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfish?cat=health#wp-_note-2 The occurrence of other colors was first recorded in 1276. The first occurrence of fancy tailed goldfish was recorded in the http://www.answers.com/topic/ming-dynasty-1. In 1502, goldfish were introduced to http://www.answers.com/topic/japan, where the http://www.answers.com/topic/ryukin and Tosakin varieties were developed. In 1854, goldfish were introduced to http://www.answers.com/topic/Portugal and from there to other parts of Europe. Goldfish were first introduced to http://www.answers.com/topic/north-america around 1850 and quickly became popular in the http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states.http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfish?cat=health#wp-_note-Brunner The longest goldfish was measured at 47.4 cm (18.7 in) from http://www.answers.com/topic/snout to tail-fin end on March 24, 2003 in Hapert, http://www.answers.com/topic/Netherlands. It was owned by Joris Gijsbers.http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfish?cat=health#wp-_note-Guinness http://www.answers.com/topic/selective-breeding over centuries has produced several color variations, some of them far removed from the "http://www.answers.com/topic/gold" color of the originally domesticated fish. Goldfish may also lose their "golden" color, or rather any goldfish color, by being kept in a dark room, this causes the scales to turn white. There are also different body shapes, http://www.answers.com/topic/fin and http://www.answers.com/topic/eye configurations. Some extreme versions of the goldfish need to be kept in an http://www.answers.com/topic/aquarium - they are much less hardy than varieties closer to the "wild" original. However, some variations are hardier, such as the http://www.answers.com/topic/shubunkin. http://www.answers.com/main/Record2?a=NR&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FImage%3ACarassus%2520carassus%2520gold.JPG http://www.answers.com/main/Record2?a=NR&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FImage%3ACarassus%2520carassus%2520gold.JPG
A http://www.answers.com/topic/crucian-carp-1 carrying a http://www.answers.com/topic/mutation for yellow http://www.answers.com/topic/pigment. Some of the first goldfish may have looked like this. Please note that fish should not be touched. It removes the slime coat that protects the fish.
The main goldfish varieties are: * http://www.answers.com/topic/black-moor * http://www.answers.com/topic/bubble-eye * http://www.answers.com/topic/butterfly-tail * http://www.answers.com/topic/calico-goldfish * http://www.answers.com/topic/celestial-eye * http://www.answers.com/topic/comet-goldfish * http://www.answers.com/topic/common-goldfish * http://www.answers.com/topic/fantail-goldfish * http://www.answers.com/topic/lionchu * http://www.answers.com/topic/lionhead * http://www.answers.com/topic/oranda * http://www.answers.com/topic/panda-moor * http://www.answers.com/topic/pearlscale * http://www.answers.com/topic/pompom-goldfish * http://www.answers.com/topic/ranchu * http://www.answers.com/topic/ryukin * http://www.answers.com/topic/shubunkin * http://www.answers.com/topic/telescope-eye * http://www.answers.com/topic/veiltail In Chinese goldfish keeping, goldfish are classified into 4 main types, which are not commonly used in the west. * Dragon eye - Goldfish with extended eyes, e.g. http://www.answers.com/topic/black-moor, http://www.answers.com/topic/bubble-eye, and http://www.answers.com/topic/telescope-eye * Egg - goldfish without a dorsal fin. e.g. http://www.answers.com/topic/lionhead (note that a bubble eye without a dorsal fin belongs to this group) * Wen - goldfish with dorsal fin and a fancy tail. e.g. http://www.answers.com/topic/veiltail ("wen" is also the name of the characteristic headgrowth on such strains as oranda and lionhead) * Ce (may also be called "grass") - goldfish without anything fancy. This is the type that is usually used in Japanese carnivals, especially for "goldfish scoops". * Jikin and wakin - goldfish with double tails, but with the body shapes of comets. http://www.answers.com/topic/calico-goldfish-jpg-1 http://www.answers.com/topic/calico-goldfish-jpg-1
A school of fancy goldfish.
* http://www.answers.com/topic/tosakin or http://www.answers.com/topic/tosakin or http://www.answers.com/topic/tosakin goldfish * http://www.answers.com/topic/tamasaba or http://www.answers.com/topic/tamasaba * http://www.answers.com/topic/meteor-goldfish * http://www.answers.com/topic/egg-fish-goldfish * http://www.answers.com/topic/curled-gill-goldfish or http://www.answers.com/topic/curled-gill-goldfish * Azuma nishiki - a http://www.answers.com/topic/nacre-colored http://www.answers.com/topic/oranda * Muse - a cross between a tosakin and an azuma nishiki with black eyes and white translucent scales * Aurora - a cross between a http://www.answers.com/topic/shubunkin and an azuma nishiki or between a calico http://www.answers.com/topic/butterfly-tail and a tosakin * Willow - a long and willowy telescope-eyed http://www.answers.com/topic/comet-archie-comics or shubunkin * Dragon eye ranchu or squid ranchu - a telescope eyed http://www.answers.com/topic/ranchu variety * ranchu or sakura singachu - a ranchu variant * http://www.answers.com/topic/ranchu - a ranchu relative * http://www.answers.com/topic/ranchu - a ranchu-like variety http://www.answers.com/topic/pfish-jpg-1 http://www.answers.com/topic/pfish-jpg-1
Goldfish pond
Goldfish are popular pond fish, since they are small, inexpensive, colourful, and very hardy. In a pond, they may even survive if brief periods of http://www.answers.com/topic/ice form on the surface, as long as there is enough http://www.answers.com/topic/oxygen remaining in the water and the pond does not freeze solid. Common goldfish, London and Bristol shubunkins, jikin, wakin, comet and sometimes fantail can be kept in a pond all year round in temperate and subtropical climates. Moor, veiltail, oranda and lionhead are only safe in the summer. Small to large ponds are fine though the depth should be at least 80 cm (30 in) to avoid freezing. During winter, goldfish will become sluggish, stop eating, and often stay on the bottom of the tank. This is completely normal; they will become active again in the spring. A filter is important to clear waste and keep the pond clean. Plants are essential as they act as part of the filtration system, as well as a food source for the fish. Plants are furthermore beneficial since they raise oxygen levels in the water. Compatible fish include http://www.answers.com/topic/rudd, http://www.answers.com/topic/tench, http://www.answers.com/topic/ide-fish and http://www.answers.com/topic/koi-1, but the latter will require specialized care. http://www.answers.com/topic/ramshorn-snail are helpful by eating any algae that grows in the pond. It is of great importance to introduce fish that will consume excess goldfish eggs in the pond, such as orfe. Without some form of population control, goldfish ponds can easily become overstocked. Koi may also interbreed to produce a sterile new fish.
The goldfish is usually classified as a http://www.answers.com/topic/coldwater-fish, and it can live in an unheated aquarium. Like most carp, goldfish produce a large amount of waste both in their feces and through their gills, releasing harmful http://www.answers.com/topic/chemical-substance into the water. This also happens because goldfish, like other cyprinids, lack a http://www.answers.com/topic/stomach and only have an intestinal tract, and thus cannot digest an excess of proteins, unlike most http://www.answers.com/topic/tropical-fish.[citation needed] Build-up of this waste to http://www.answers.com/topic/toxicity-disambiguation levels can occur in a relatively short period of time, which is often the cause of a fish's sudden death. It may be the amount of water surface area, not the water volume, that decides how many goldfish may live in a container, because this determines how much oxygen diffuses and dissolves from the air into the water; one square foot of water surface area for every inch of goldfish length (370 cm²/cm). If the water is being further aerated by way of http://www.answers.com/topic/pump, http://www.answers.com/topic/filter-water or http://www.answers.com/topic/fountain, more goldfish may be kept in the container.[citation needed] http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfishies-jpg-1 http://www.answers.com/topic/goldfishies-jpg-1
Goldfish aquarium
Goldfish may be coldwater fish, but this does not mean they can tolerate rapid changes in temperature. The sudden shift in temperature that comes at night, for example in an office building where a goldfish might be kept in a small office tank, could kill them, especially in winter. Temperatures under about 10 °C (50 °F) are dangerous to goldfish. Conversely, temperatures over 25 °C (77 °F) can be extremely damaging for goldfish (this is the main reason why they shouldn't be kept in tropical tanks).[ All of this information came from answers.com |}
