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Goldfish In The Wild: Some Interesting Facts And Findings

Wild goldfish have been sold as pets for generations. They are a popular fish species in aquariums today, but many people still don’t realize how interesting these fish really are. If you want to learn more about goldfish in the wild, then keep reading!

Do Goldfish Exist In The Wild?

Yes, Goldfish exist in the wild, and they can be found in slow-moving, freshwater bodies. How do you know if a fish is wild? Well, that’s easy: if you see it swimming around in a lake or pond, it’s probably a wild fish. If you see it swimming around in your aquarium, it’s not.

Where Do Goldfish Come From?

Wakin Goldfish

Goldfish come from the wild (maybe). They are not really domesticated fish. They are native to South Asia and China and have been cultivated for centuries. They were first introduced to Europe in the 17th century and have become one of the most popular aquarium fish ever since. The Chinese have been breeding goldfish for thousands of years, though it’s not clear exactly where they came from or how long they’ve been around.

Goldfish are now one of the most widely kept aquarium fish in the world, but they weren’t always so popular. Until recently, a goldfish was considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity only in China; as far as anyone knows, they were never bred as pets until they were imported into Europe!

What Do Goldfish In The Wild Eat?

live food for aquarium fish

Goldfish are omnivores. They eat vegetation and algae, insects, crustaceans, and other small organisms. They also scavenge for food. In the wild, goldfish will eat any plant matter they can find, which is why they are often associated with plants. In fact, they are known to be omnivorous (they eat both plants and animals). Goldfish will also eat dead fish and other dead animals that wash up on shorelines or beaches. This behavior has earned them a reputation as scavengers in the aquarium industry.

However, goldfish do have a preference for certain types of algae as their main source of food. In captivity, this algae tends to come from plants such as water lettuce (also known as Sagittaria). If you want to encourage your goldfish to eat more algae from plants, try growing some water lettuce in your tank!

Types Of Goldfish That Can Live In The Wild

Here are a few goldfish types that can survive in wild:

1- Common Goldfish

Common Goldfish are the most popular species of goldfish. They are also the most common type of goldfish you will find in the wild, as well as the one that is easiest to care for.

Common Goldfish are large, hardy fish that can grow up to five inches in length. They have a thick, muscular body, and their dorsal fin is long and pointed. The lower lobe of their tail fin is black, while the upper lobe is gold in color. They have large scales on their backs and sides, along with a small dorsal fin that has five rays instead of eight. Their fins are often tipped with black spots or white spots.

2- Bristol Shubunkin Goldfish

The Bristol Shubunkin Goldfish is a beautiful and unique fish that has the potential to live in the wild. It’s one of the more docile varieties of goldfish, and it tends to be less aggressive than other types. The Bristol Shubunkin Goldfish is also quite hardy, which makes it an excellent choice for people who are looking for a pet that can survive in harsh conditions.

This type of goldfish has been known to live up to 15 years in captivity, but it can also survive up to 20 years in the wild if given proper care. They are omnivores, meaning they will eat both plants and meat. This makes them an ideal choice for people who want their goldfish to be able to eat when they don’t have access to food or water sources.

3- Jikin Goldfish

Jikin goldfish is one of the most popular varieties of goldfish in the wild. They are also known as “Jikin”, which is short for “goldfish.” Jikins have been around since the early 1900s, but they were not bred until after WWII when they were introduced to Japan and South Korea. The male Jikin has a long body, large scales, and an elongated fin on its head. The female Jikin is smaller than the male and has a rounded head with no extensions to its fins. Jikins are considered indoor fish only due to their small size and inability to survive in colder climates.

4- Wakin Goldfish

Wakin goldfish is the most common type of goldfish that can live in the wild. They are also known as Black Moor Goldfish because of their black and white coloring. These fish have been around for centuries and have adapted well to living in different environments.

Wakin Goldfish are small, but they can grow up to 12 inches long. They have a body that is covered with scales, fins, and tail fins. The scales are generally shiny and can be blue or silver in color. The fins on these fish are quite long and come in a variety of colors including black, red, yellow, and white.

5- Comet Goldfish

Comet Goldfish are another variety that stands out due to their unusual appearance. These goldfish have large heads with wide mouths and a large number of teeth on their upper jaw. They also have a prominent hump on top of their heads that gives them an almost shark-like appearance. Comet Goldfish is one of the more common types of goldfish found in people’s homes because they do well in small aquariums and ponds they can also live in wild.

Why Do Goldfish Grow So Big In The Wild?

comet goldfish

There can be many reasons why a goldfish grow so big in the wild. I have mentioned a few of them here below:

1- More Room To Grow

The biggest reason why goldfish grow so big in the wild is that they have more room to grow. In a pet store, you’re likely to find goldfish with less than an inch of head space. In addition to that, they may be kept in cramped conditions with no oxygen at all. That’s why they grow so fast. They don’t have time to waste!

But if you take your goldfish out of its aquarium and let it live for a few days, it will slowly acclimate its body to the water quality around you. It will slowly adjust its metabolism and start eating less food, which means it can use up extra energy from its food source. And because it has more room to swim around in, there’s no limit on how big your fish can get!

2- More Food

Goldfish, like most fish, need a lot of food to grow big and fast. In the wild, goldfish are preyed upon by larger fish. They eat smaller fish and other small animals such as crayfish and insects.

In the home aquarium, goldfish can be fed almost any type of food you want but it is important to have plenty of it on hand so that your goldfish do not starve to death if you are away from home for a few days or weeks at a time.

3- Fewer Diseases

In the wild, goldfish are less susceptible to disease and parasites than their domesticated counterparts. This is because goldfish have no domesticated counterparts, so there are no other fish to get diseases from that might affect the wild population of goldfish.

4- More Exercise

 In the wild, goldfish are more active and they have a lot of room to swim. They also have bigger fins that allow them to move through the water faster. The faster pace of life in the wild is what makes them grow so big in the first place.

Biggest Goldfish Caught In The Wild?

The biggest goldfish caught in the wild is a 4-pounder, according to CNN News. The fish was caught in California by a fisherman named Jason and he then donated it to the Los Angeles Zoo.

The fish was on display at the aquarium for about two years before moving to another facility. It has since been moved again, this time to a private institution in Kansas City, where it will reside for the rest of its life.

Wrapping Up

Because goldfish are often bought as pets and subsequently kept in small tanks, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that they have a long, rich history as wild animals. The idea that captive goldfish never develop true personalities because they watch us constantly might be a myth, but there are certainly some behaviors that tip them off as being different from their wild counterparts. In any case, keeping goldfish in captivity is far preferable to not having them at all!