Carassius auratus auratus
| Goldfish | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Subfamily: | Cyprininae |
| Genus: | Carassius |
| Species: | C. auratus |
| Binomial name | |
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Carassius auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Carassius discolor Basilewsky, 1855 |
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Carassius discolor Basilewsky, 1855
Carassius burgeri Temminck & Schlegel, 1846
Carassius coeruleus Basilewsky, 1855
Carassius encobia Bonaparte, 1845
Carassius grandoculis Temminck & Schlegel, 1846
Carassius pekinensis Basilewsky, 1855
Cyprinus auratus Linnaeus, 1758
Cyprinus gibelioides Cantor, 1842
Cyprinus mauritianus Bennett, 1832
Cyprinus chinensis Gronow, 1854
Cyprinus maillardi Guichenot
Cyprinus nigrescens Günther, 1868
Cyprinus thoracatus Valenciennes 1842
Neocarassius ventricosus Castelnau, 1872
The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish.
A relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the Prussian carp and the crucian carp), the goldfish is native to east Asia. It was first selectively bred in China more than a thousand years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration and colouration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).
Starting in ancient China, various species of carp (collectively known as Asian carp) have been bred and reared as food fish for thousands of years. Some of these normally gray or silver species have a tendency to produce red, orange or yellow colour mutations; this was first recorded during the Jin dynasty (265–420).
During the Tang dynasty (618–907), it was popular to raise carp in ornamental ponds and watergardens. A natural genetic mutation produced gold (actually yellowish orange) rather than silver colouration. People began to breed the gold variety instead of the silver variety, keeping them in ponds or other bodies of water. On special occasions at which guests were expected, they would be moved to a much smaller container for display.
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Wikipedia