5 Fascinating Things You Don’t Know About Goldfish

Watching goldfish swim about in a well-crafted tank is mesmerizing and soothing. As pets, they’re quieter and less demanding than dogs or cats, and they’re actually capable of learning tricks and appreciate human attention. While these qualities make goldfish fascinating enough, here’s five more fun facts that put them in their own league.

1. They’ve Been Kept as Pets for Over 1,000 Years

The Chinese raised silver-colored carp for food, but around the seventh century, they started selectively breeding the occasional orange carp that cropped up. Around the tenth century, the distinct goldfish was established as the first fish kept primarily as a pet. Over the centuries, an amazing variety of goldfish breeds have emerged. They come in colors such as gold, red, blue, and black. Likewise, a huge array of bizarre features, such as missing dorsal fins, strange protrusions, bulging eyes, and elongated tail fins, have been developed.

2. They Can Live into Their Forties

With proper care, goldfish can make it into their forties. The official record is 43 years for one goldfish named Tish who died in Thirsk, England, in 1999. When goldfish live this long, their gold fades to silver and pinkish-white.

If you’re hoping to break Tish’s record with a goldfish of your own, it’s important to start off with the right supplies and equipment. It’s easy to find the right freshwater aquarium for your fish’s needs, and you’ll want to add filtration to keep the water nice and clean.

3. They Can Store Memories for a Long Time

Whether it’s migrating around the oceans or knowing where to seek shelter or a breeding site in a pond or stream, fish have great memories. Tests conducted on goldfish show they can store memories for months or longer. These tests include training goldfish to associate objects and sounds with food rewards. They are also capable of recognizing and remembering human faces.

4. They Have Colorful Vision

Goldfish see a wider spectrum of colors than humans, since their range includes ultraviolet light. Because their natural habitat is shallow water, visible light can penetrate deep enough to be useful. Ultraviolet light penetrates this deep and reflects off their scales so they can provide signals to one another.

5. They Don’t Have Stomachs

A goldfish’s digestive system is essentially a long stretch of intestines. Without a stomach, goldfish rely on particular segments of the intestines to absorb the various nutrients they need. The results of this characteristic are that goldfish have to eat small amounts quite often while also excreting waste frequently, since there’s no storage space. Food specifically designed for goldfish is important because it won’t expand or clump together in their vulnerable digestive tracts. This shows why a good water filtering system is invaluable.

Goldfish are a favorite pet for people of all ages. They’re easy to care for, and they’re quite intelligent. If you decide to get one (or several) of your own, drop by Aquatic Warehouse or call us at 858-467-9297. Our fish experts can tell you all about how to care for your goldfish and keep them healthy for a long time—maybe even long enough to break Tish’s record!