Originally from a large family of freshwater fishes known as Cyprinidae compromising of the true minnows and carps, the goldfish is traditionally kept as an aquarium fish due to its natural history as one of the earliest fish to be first domesticated thousands of years ago in ancient China where they were commonly referred to as Asian carps.
Dating as far back as the Jin Dynasty between 265 through to 420 Asian carps or goldfish were first recorded to have been bred and developed in water gardens and ornamental ponds as a source of food and domestication resulting in a selective number of species found today varying in body shape size, configuration of the fin, and a vast array of color combinations including black, orange, yellow, red and brown. The typical gold appearance of the Asian carp was as a result of a natural genetic mutation producing a yellowish orange color instead of a silver coloration.
This resulted in the widespread breeding of the gold variation of the fish where they were kept in ponds or aquariums and occasionally moved to smaller containers to be put on display during special occasions at which guests were expected.
Facts About Goldfish
▪ Due to their metallic scales, the goldfish was highly regarded as a symbol for good luck in southern Europe where they were presented as gifts by men to their wives in celebration of their one-year anniversary. With the introduction go the goldfish to the regions of North America in 1850 the goldfish rapidly became more recognized and widely available resulting in the traditional value as a wedding anniversary gift to quickly lose its prestige.
▪ Originally the goldfish were first bred in China from the Prussian or silver carp fish which still today is the oldest and closest family of the goldfish living in the wild.
▪ The largest goldfish in the world living in the Netherlands as of April 2008 was measured at 48 centimeters or 19 inches while in Folkestone England, the second largest goldfish by the name of Goldie kept in a pet tank was recorded as measuring 38 centimeters or just over 15 inches weighing in at just about 2 pounds.
▪ Goldfish found living in the wild will mainly feed on a variety of plant matter, crustaceans and insects.
▪ The goldfish similar to other fish are viewed as opportunistic feeders known for a tendency of being unable to stoop eating on their own free will occasionally resulting in the eventual blocking of the intestines leading to an inevitable death. Domesticated goldfish in situations where they may be exposed to overeating can easily be observed by the excessive amount of waste matter within the aquarium or pond partially resulting from the incomplete digestion of the protein content within the food provided.
▪ Food developed specifically for goldfish feeding has been known to contain more carbohydrate and less protein content than traditional fish food commonly existing in two textures, pellets that sink below the water and flakes that will float on the surface.
▪ The conventional fish food for the goldfish can and is often supplemented with a diet consisting of the use of shelled peas, bloodworms, green vegetables of a leafy nature as well as brine shrimp.
▪ Goldfish with respect to their vision have been found to contain four specific types of cone cells allowing them to differentiate between four primary colors effecting a recognized sensitivity to a range of colors including ultraviolet, blue red and green resulting in the goldfish to be characteristically referred to as tetrachromats.
▪ Today China recognizes more than three hundred different breeds of goldfish having originally been bred within that country including, the common goldfish, Comet goldfish, Lionhead goldfish and the Ryukin.
▪ The goldfish will only mature in its sexuality if provided with sufficient water and an adequate diet consisting of the proper amount of nutrition. The majority of the goldfish existing today are bred in confined and controlled environment mainly in large aquariums or suitable ponds. Breeding of the goldfish will generally be observed during the spring seasons after a experiencing a noticeable and considerable change in weather temperature. The male goldfish during this period will often pursue the female goldfish carrying the eggs to stimulate the release of these eggs by nudging and crashing into them.
▪ Similar to all members of the cyprinid family the goldfish is an egg-layer. When released the eggs due to their adhesive nature will often attach themselves to dense plant life and aquatic vegetation for a duration of 48 to 72 hours before hatching. Offsprings of the goldfish referred to as a fry will generally assume their final shape within seven to ten days after hatching eventually developing their mature goldfish color within a year. Prior to this maturation the goldfish will appear with a metallic brown color in close resemblance to their wild ancestral heritage breeds.
▪ Adult goldfish when held in captivity will often eat the younger goldfish they come across.
▪ The goldfish has been found to possess a strong social learning skill as well as an impressive associative learning ability and visual acuity enabling the fish to make a distinguish identification between individual human beings.
The Heals’ FishCAM
FishCAM provided through the assistance of healTV accepts between five to ten concurrent viewers to view the live streaming of a goldfish from a the dining room of a local resident located in Springfield, Virginia within the United States of America. Viewers to this interactive cam have the additional options of some unique control features allowing them to perform functions of the aquarium such as turning the lights on and off as well as blowing bubbles within the tank.
View The Heals’ FishCAM web cam.
Fishycam
Fishycam.com previously operated out of Aberdeen Scotland no longer keeps goldfish and as such has redirected avid goldfish fans to the fishcam.com website. Known as one of the founding fish cams on the internet the fishcam since 1994 has been transmitting live from a lonely fish tank found in an unknown company today recognized as Netscape.
View Fishycam web cam.
Aquarium of the Pacific
Representing the diverse marine life normally found off the Palau coast, Aquarium of the Pacific streams a live video from over 2,100 islands consisting of a variety of marine life and fish including the goldfish.
View Aquarium of the Pacific web cam.