Habitat:Ponds, Tanks, and Aquariums

Description: Small Member of the Carp Family. 300 Recognized Breeds with some being far removed from the Original Gold Color. Some have Fancy Fins and Tails, different Body Shapes and Eye Configuration. The Largest Goldfish recorded was 19" and over 2 Pounds.

Comments:A Freshwater Fish and one of the Earliest to be Domesticated. Introduction of goldfish into the wild can cause problems for native species. Goldfish can hybridize with certain other species of carp. Within three breeding generations, the vast majority of the hybrid spawn revert to their natural olive color. The mutation that gave rise to the domestic goldfish is also known from other cyprinid species, such as common carp and tench. Koi may also interbreed with the goldfish to produce a sterile hybrid fish. There are many different varieties of domesticated goldfish. Fancy goldfish are unlikely to survive in the wild because of their bright colors and long fins; however the hardier varieties such as the Shubunkin or Comet may survive long enough to breed with wild cousins. Common and comet goldfish can survive, and even thrive, in any climate that can support a pond.

Goldfish have a memory-span of at least three months and can distinguish between different shapes, colors and sounds. By using positive reinforcement, goldfish can be trained to recognize and to react to light signals of different colors or to perform tricks. Fish respond to certain colors most evidently in relation to feeding. Fish learn to anticipate feedings provided they occur at around the same time every day.

Like some other popular aquarium fish, such as the guppy, goldfish and other carp are frequently added to stagnant bodies of water to reduce mosquito populations. They are used to prevent the spread of West Nile Virus, which relies on mosquitoes to migrate. However, introducing goldfish has often had negative consequences for local ecosystems.

Although edible, goldfish are rarely eaten. A fad among American college students for many years was swallowing goldfish as a stunt and as a fraternity initiation process. The first recorded instance was in 1939 at Harvard University. The practice gradually fell out of popularity over the course of several decades and is rarely practiced today. Most likely because there is now a Cracker named Goldfish and they taste better...

Source: Wikipedia