Animal profile

Goldfish

Carassius auratus

ActinopterygiiSlow, weedy fresh water; kept in ponds and aquaria worldwide

Field profile

The goldfish is a domesticated East Asian cyprinid, bred from wild silver-grey crucian-carp relatives over more than a thousand years. Released fish revert toward wild colouration and can reach a surprising size in open water.

Published field notes

2026-05-07

Goldfish

Goldfish memory lasts months, not seconds

The three-second goldfish memory is folklore. Laboratory and classroom experiments have shown goldfish learning to press levers, navigate mazes and respond to feeding cues, and retaining those associations for weeks to several months.

Read with evidence →