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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about goldfish. Be sure to subscribe for more animal facts! We would like to thank Rikusda for today’s suggestion! Goldfish may be seen an ubiquitous addition the family home decor, but, this has not always been the case. Goldfish are a species of carp, and domestic goldfish were first bred nearly 1,000 years ago in China. Wild goldfish, who typically appeared silver in color, were consumed by ancient Chinese people. This led to the discovery of genetic variants displaying different colors: namely yellow and gold. These colorful fish were saved from the dinner table and placed in ponds where they were collected. After a couple hundred years, the color varieties became mainstream as pets kept in handmade jars. Today, these fish have traveled all over the world, and more than 200 breeds of domestic goldfish exist. It’s due to this popularity that these fish have become an invasive species in many places, meaning they certainly aren’t facing any populations threats!

Goldfish in non-native habitats such as the Americas, Europe, and Africa can negatively impact the local environment, so goldfish pet owners are strongly advised not to release goldfish into waterways or flush them down the toilet. Native habitats for goldfish include Eastern Asian countries. They’re hardy creatures, not unlike the koi we’ve discussed in a previous episode, and goldfish can thrive in what one might call “sludgy” environments. They can tolerate high levels of salt in the water as well as large ranges of temperature. This robust nature likely lends to the goldfish’s survival ability in non-native areas. So much for them just being dumb fish in tiny bowls.

It’s pretty commonly believed that goldfish can only remember the past three seconds. This is entirely false. In studies, fish in general have been found to have excellent memories, having the capacity to recall a sound they associate with the offering of food months after being released into the wild; and goldfish have even shown they have the ability to learn tricks. It also seems to be the case that people assume all goldfish are teeny, but wild varieties have been caught at sizes of nearly twenty inches (50.8cm). Plus, they might seem like a flash-in-the-pan kind of pet who won’t last more than a few months, but really they average about 20 year life spans with some being reported as living longer than 40 years. It’s also pretty cruel to keep a goldfish in a tiny bowl with no room to stretch their fins. There have been cases of goldfish being observed swimming 140 miles (225km) in a single year. That’s an average of more than a third of a mile (0.54km) per day. I’m sure some of us don’t even walk that far on certain days! Something else that’s neat about goldfish are that their eyes are pretty similar to ours in that they can see the same colors we can. This is a trait we don’t even share with some of our closest primate relatives! Oh, and they can hear and even differentiate between sounds. Also, goldfish might seem like boring animals, but in their native land they’re viewed as symbols of prosperity - like… gold… fish… get it?

In the wild, goldfish sometimes form loose schools and live in slow-moving or completely stagnant waterways. Here they eat plants, insect larvae, plankton, and small crustaceans. Goldfish breed in the warmer months of the year, and females can lay thousands of eggs during spawning. The eggs are left unprotected by either parent and will hatch within a week. It takes about two years for goldfish to reach sexual maturity. In the wild, goldfish have to watch out for herons, turtles, and other fish - in captivity they have to watch out for hungry house-cats.

For more facts on goldfish, check out the links in the description. We’d love to hear what you think of goldfish in the comments. If you enjoyed this video, don’t forget to smack that thumbs up button, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!