Common goldfish – Carassius auratus

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Home » Cyprinidae

Common goldfish – Carassius auratus

Submitted by AquariumsLife.com on March 29, 2009 – 9:01 amOne Comment

commongoldfish2

Species name: Carassius auratus
Common names: Common goldfish
Family: Cyprinidae
Order: Cypriniformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 12 in.
Minimum tank size: 25 gallons
Hardiness: Easy
Aggressiveness: May nip at fins. Will eat fish that can fit in it’s mouth.
Distribution: Central Asia, China, Japan
Diet: Omnivore. In the wild, they feed on a wide range of food including plants, small crustaceans, insects, and detritus.
In captivity, they will accept most aquarium food including pellets, flakes, and live prey such as worms.

Additional information:
The Common goldfish – Carassius auratus is one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby. It is also one of the easiest fish to keep which makes it an excellent choice for beginners.

In the wild, goldfish are native of Asia where they became popular during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907). At this time it was popular to keep carp in ponds. Some of these carp displayed yellowish orange colour rather than silver coloration. So they began to breed the yellowish orange variety instead of the silver variety and created what we call today the Common goldfish. Today, many varieties of fancy goldfish are derived from the common goldfish.

The Common goldfish possess a long dorsal fin with a forked caudal and a short caudal peduncle. The body is tapered at the caudal peduncle and head, and it is also wider and deeper than the comet goldfish. They come in many colors but are mostly seen in solid gold/orange.

The Common goldfish is a coldwater fish so the tank does not have to be heated. It will do well with a water temperature of 65° – 78°F, a pH between 6.0 and 8.0 and a dH of 5 -19.