My first Publication CC May Edition for Web | Page 21

Aquarium Fish Species
POPULAR FRESHWATER
FISH FOR THE AQUARIUM
By: Anshul Kapoor
GOLDFISH: Th e goldfi sh is a freshwater
fi sh and is one of the most common
aquarium fi shes. It belongs to the family
Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes and is
one of the most studied fi sh species in the
world. Th e origins of this fi sh date back to
ancient China where they are known to be
more than a thousand years old.
Goldfi sh come in various shapes, sizes,
looks and colours of which certain blends
of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and
black are extremely popular. Common
golfdfi sh,
Pompom,
Celestial
eye,
Telescope and Veiltail are some types of
Goldfi sh.
Goldfi sh are renowned for their powerful
learning abilities. Aft er some time, they
can identify their owners and respond
to them and tend to hide when strangers
approach them. Th ey also learn to adapt
to feedings in case they are fed around the
same time every day. As opposed to the
popular belief that Goldfi sh have a three-
second memory, research has found them
to remember things up to three months
or more. It is rare for a Goldfi sh to harm
another goldfi sh, or for one gender to
harm the other.
Goldfi sh are egg-layers. Males chase the
female goldfi sh carrying eggs and prompt
them to release their eggs by bumping and
nudging them. Th eir eggs hatch within 48
to 72 hours. Th ey assume their fi nal shape
in a week but take around a year to become
an adult.
Commercial Goldfi sh breeders are
available in Th ailand, Japan, China or
Indonesia. Th ese types of Goldfi sh are
suited for indoor living only, but there
are species of pond goldfi sh that thrive in
outdoor water gardens and ponds and can
grow more substantially.
Th eir lifespan is as short as fi ve years when
placed in a glass bowl, whereas, in bigger
aquariums and ponds, they may live up to
20-30 years.
Goldfi sh are happy when they get abundant
aquatic plant life. Th ey also prefer calmer
waters and need twice the amount of space
than a tropical fi sh requires. Th erefore,
they should not be kept in tropical
aquariums.
May 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 5 • Noida
21
| Creature Companion