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Goldfish in an aquarium | |
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Genus: | Carassius |
Species: | C. auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a species of domesticated fish in the carp family. They were domesticated in China during the Tang Dynasty. Goldfish can reach up to 59 cm in size, and 3 kg in weight. However, most goldfish grow to only half that size. In captivity, goldfish can live for up to 30 years. In the aquarium, however, most will die earlier. This is because the aquarium is too small. Goldfish need a lot of space so they have room to swim and so the water does not get dirty too fast. Goldfish live best in temperatures between 10 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.
It was once thought that goldfish have short memories, but scientists have proven that this is not true. In experiments, a goldfish was trained to kick a small ball under water. Another goldfish learned to swim through a maze.