Goldfish swim in an aquarium.

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) — Goldfish swim in an aquarium.

Creator: [Jackson Kusack](https://www.inaturalist.org/users/1773634), [Wikimedia Commons source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carassius_auratus_197778318.jpg), CC0 1.0. Licence: [CC0 1.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC0 1.0 (Public Domain Dedication)

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Species record

Goldfish

Carassius auratus

Explore the Goldfish (Carassius auratus) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

Goldfish are freshwater cyprinids native to East Asia that were domesticated in China more than 1,000 years ago. Releases from ponds and aquariums have established populations widely outside their native range. They favor slow or still inland waters with vegetation and eat plant material, small animals, and detritus.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Chordates
  3. Subphylum: Vertebrates
  4. Class: Actinopterygii
  5. Order: Carps and minnows
  6. Family: Cyprinidae
  7. Genus: Carassius

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
slow-flowing rivers and streams, freshwater lakes and reservoirs, ponds, canals and ditches, vegetated inland wetlands
Selected regions
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America
Selected countries
China, Japan, United Kingdom, United States

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • Wild-type goldfish can be olive green or creamy white, not just bright gold.
  • Goldfish eggs are sticky and attach to water plants or other submerged surfaces.

More images

A goldfish swims in an aquarium at Lake Superior Aquarium.

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) — A goldfish swims at Lake Superior Aquarium.

Creator: James St. John, [Wikimedia Commons source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carassius_auratus_auratus_%28goldfish%29_2.jpg), CC BY 2.0. Licence: [CC BY 2.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC BY 2.0

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Sources and attribution