Goldfish

General information
The goldfish got its name, first of all, for the color of its scales: the standard body color is reddish-golden, often with a metallic sheen. There is also a version that the fish were called golden for their high cost at the time when they first came to our country. Now goldfish for aquariums are bred on an industrial scale on special fish farms, so there is no difficulty in getting almost any kind of goldfish in your aquarium.

Man has been keeping and breeding goldfish for several millennia. During this time, a huge number of varieties have been bred, differing both in the color of the scales and in the shape of the body. Looking at all this riot of bright colors and unusual shapes of goldfish, it’s hard to believe that their ancestor was a simple gray fish from the Carp family.

Appearance
Depending on the breed, a goldfish may have an elongated, laterally compressed or short body with a rounded belly. In each representative of goldfish, you can find enlarged gill covers, hard notches on the first fin rays and pharyngeal teeth – additional jaws in the throat or pharynx.

The structure of the scales of goldfish also depends on the breed characteristics: they can be large, small or absent altogether in some areas.

The most popular body color of a goldfish is red-gold, but there are forms with other colors: bronze, black, spotted, bluish, etc. The belly of a goldfish is always lighter colored than the back.

Goldfish. Appearance
The variation of the fins is also quite wide. The caudal fin can be single, forked, veiled or have another unusual shape. The dorsal fin of a goldfish is found short, veiled, or may be absent altogether. The eyes are large, slightly convex. Some breeds can be greatly enlarged and have a bizarre shape.

The minimum size of an adult goldfish in good conditions is rarely less than 15 cm. Individual breeds can grow up to 30 cm . Goldfish are considered long-lived among fish. The average life expectancy is 13-15 years. The record for the life time in the aquarium belongs to an English goldfish named Tish, who lived for 43 years.

Sexual dimorphism in goldfish is not pronounced, it is possible to determine the female and male only during the preparation for spawning.

History of appearance/discovery
The inhabitants of ancient China had an extensive culture of keeping wild fish in various cages and barrels. Periodically, very beautiful bright representatives came across, which were used for further breeding. The spread of Buddhism also contributed to the appearance of unusual forms. According to the canons, it was strictly forbidden to kill fish, even physically handicapped ones. They were settled in special “merciful ponds”, where they lived out their lives until they died of natural causes.