Goldfish

At a glance

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 14 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

Confirmed by 3,415 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Ontario, California, and New York the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Selectively bred in China for over 1,000 years from wild carp.
• In outdoor ponds, goldfish can grow to 16 inches and weigh several pounds.
• Can live over 20 years; the oldest on record reportedly lived 43 years.
• Lack a true stomach — food passes directly through their intestines.
• Feral populations have established in rivers and lakes across North America.

Where Goldfish are seen

• Ontario637 iNat obs
• California239 iNat obs
• New York208 iNat obs
• Ohio184 iNat obs
• Illinois154 iNat obs
• Texas152 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Goldfish

• CaliforniaUnited States · official source
• IllinoisUnited States · official source
• KansasUnited States · official source
• MarylandUnited States · official source
• MichiganUnited States · official source
• MissouriUnited States · official source

Background

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.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Goldfish article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other bony fish on CatchRules

• BluegillLepomis macrochirus
• European CarpCyprinus carpio
• Brown TroutSalmo trutta
• Eastern MosquitofishGambusia holbrooki