Goldfish

Believed to be the first domesticated fish, goldfish are descended from a species of East Asian carp that, due to a genetic mutation, exhibited gold, rather than the usual gray-brown coloration. Since then, they have been bred selectively to produce dozens of different varieties, which exhibit an array of colors and physical characteristics.

Goldfish were kept as pets in ponds and porcelain bowls in China as early as the twelfth century. At that time, it was forbidden for anyone outside the royal family to own yellow goldfish, since yellow was the color reserved for royalty. This may have led to the preponderance of orange goldfish over the easier to breed yellow variety.

Goldfish began appearing in Europe and North America around 1850 and quickly became popular in the United States.

Goldfish remain the most commonly kept aquarium fish, likely because they are inexpensive, easy to care for, and, unlike many other pet fish, do not require elaborate heating or filtering mechanisms.

In appropriate climates, goldfish may also be kept in outdoor ponds where they have been known to survive minor freezing.

• Goldfish Connection: Goldfish Merchandise

• eBay: Goldfish Merchandise

• Cafepress.com: Goldfish Merchandise

• Amazon.com: Goldfish Books

• Barnes & Noble.com: Goldfish Books

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