Goldfish
Featured in: Year 1: Animals, including humans
Goldfish
Fish
A small, brightly coloured pet fish commonly kept in aquariums or garden ponds.
💡 Fun Facts
- Goldfish can actually see more colours than humans, including ultraviolet and infrared light.
- They don't have stomachs! They digest food entirely in their intestines.
- Despite the myth, goldfish actually have a memory span of at least three months.
Name Story
Carassius auratus
means “the gilded carp”
What does its name mean?
- Carassius — an old European word for the crucian carplatinised vernacular
- auratus — gilded, goldenLatin (aurum, 'gold')
Here is a surprise: wild goldfish are a dull olive-brown. The bright gold we love took hundreds of years of careful breeding, turning a drab little carp into a flash of living treasure.