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goldfishColumbia Encyclopedia entry: goldfish
Goldfish, freshwater fish, genus Carassius, of the family Cyprinidae, popular in aquariums and ponds. Native to China, it was first domesticated centuries ago from the wild form, an olive-colored carplike fish up to 16 in. (40 cm) long. It reverts to this type when it escapes from domestication and has been known to hybridize with the carp. Breeders have developed bizarre varieties with fan, fringe, or veil tails and sometimes with double or triple fins. Some have bulging telescope eyes. The majority of those bred commercially are known as scaled goldfish and have a metallic sheen of red, gold, white, silver, or black. The rarer forms, which are called scaleless, actually have transparent scales and appear in bright red, blue, shades of purple, and calico patterns. Marketed goldfish range in length from 1 to 4 in. (2.5–10 cm). In pools, they are beneficial as well as ornamental, since they feed on mosquito larvae; however, their carplike feeding habits make them a nuisance in lakes and streams. Goldfish are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Cypriniformes, family Cyprinidae.
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Wikipedia search results for: Goldfish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The goldfish was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is still one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish. A relatively small member of the carp family, the goldfish is a domesticated version of a dark-gray/olive/brown carp native to east Asia that was introduced to Europe in the late 17th century. The mutation that gave rise to the goldfish is also known from other cyprinid species, such as common carp and tench.
Goldfish may grow to a maximum length of 23 inches and a maximum weight of 9.9 pounds, although this is rare; most individual goldfish grow to under half this size. In optimal conditions, goldfish may live more than 40...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: goldfish
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- aquarium
Aquarium, name for any supervised exhibit of aquatic animals and plants. Aquariums are known to have been constructed in ancient Rome, Egypt, and Asia. Goldfish have been bred in China for sev...
- minnow
Minnow, common name for the Cyprinidae, a large family of freshwater fish which includes the carp (Cyprinus carpio), and of which there are some 300 American species. The European minnow is Ph...
