The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a freshwater fish belonging to the Cyprinidae family of the Cypriniformes order. It is one of the most popular aquarium fish and is often kept as a pet in indoor tanks.

The goldfish is a tiny member of the carp family that is native to East Asia (which also includes the Prussian carp and the crucian carp). It was initially deliberately bred for color over 1,000 years ago in ancient China, and numerous unique varieties have subsequently emerged. The size, body form, fin arrangement, and coloring of goldfish breeds vary significantly (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).

For thousands of years, many species of carp (together known as Asian carp) have been cultivated and reared as food fish throughout East Asia. In ancient China, during the Jin dynasty (AD 265–420), several of these typically gray or silver species had a tendency to exhibit red, orange, or yellow color changes.

Carp were prominent in decorative ponds and water gardens throughout the Tang period (AD 618–907). Instead of silver, a spontaneous genetic mutation created gold (really yellowish orange). People started breeding the gold species instead of the silver variety and keeping them in ponds or other bodies of water. They would be relocated to a much smaller container for display on important occasions if guests were anticipated.

The selective domestic breeding of goldfish was well established by the Song period (AD 960–1279). The Song Dynasty’s empress ordered the building of a pond to harvest the red and gold variety in 1162. People outside the imperial family were no longer allowed to keep goldfish of the gold (yellow) kind, as yellow was the imperial hue at the time. This is most likely why, despite the fact that yellow goldfish are genetically simpler to produce, there are more orange goldfish than yellow goldfish. Other hues (apart from red and gold) were first observed in 1276.

Goldfish began to be bred indoors during the Ming era (1368–1644), allowing for the selection of mutations that would not survive in ponds. The Ming Dynasty is credited with the first appearance of fancy-tailed goldfish. Goldfish were first brought to Japan in 1603. Goldfish were first brought to Portugal in 1611, and thereafter to the rest of Europe.

Goldfish were prized in southern Europe around the 1620s for their shiny scales, which were thought to represent good luck and wealth. It became customary for married men to gift their spouses a goldfish on their first anniversary as a sign of the years ahead. As goldfish became more widely available, the ritual died out fast, and goldfish lost their significance. Around 1850, goldfish were first brought to North America, where they soon became popular.

Goldfish have one of the most well-studied visual systems among fish. Cone cells in goldfish are divided into four types, each of which is sensitive to a distinct color: red, green, blue, and ultraviolet. Tetrachromats are distinguished by their ability to discriminate between four primary hues.

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