5 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Very active; not for small aquariums.
135 species in our list are a good match.
Very active; not for small aquariums.
Goldfish pellets, vegetables.
Tap a food to see what it is.
In the breeding season males develop small white breeding tubercles on the gill covers (and sometimes pectoral fins); females are rounder-bodied.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Egg-scatterer · Easy
Spawns seasonally (late winter to early summer) once water is above about 10 °C, scattering sticky eggs onto plants.
Adults in a pond.
A pond with mops.
Spring warming.
A female usually lays about 2,000-4,000 eggs at a time; they hatch in 2-9 days depending on temperature.
Infusoria then brine shrimp; fast-growing.
A fast single-tailed goldfish developed in the United States by Hugo Mulertt, who wrote that he produced the first one by a lucky cross in summer 1881, while a long-tailed comet was in the sky, and named it after it. It is slimmer than the common goldfish, grows large, and is best suited to ponds.
The comet is a slim, long-tailed goldfish variety developed in the United States in the late 1800s. Its flowing single tail gives it its comet-like look. Hardy and fast-swimming, it is a classic choice for garden ponds.
First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
17 facts checked with sources
Valid name Carassius auratus (Linnaeus, 1758). The comet is a domestic single-tailed variety of goldfish, not a separate species; shubunkins, commons and sarasa comets are the same species.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summaryLegacy has no family; recorded as sourced. Subfamily Cyprininae.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summaryAll TL. 30 cm sits inside the goldfish range (15-45 cm TL, max 48 cm TL). Wikipedia says comets are slightly smaller and slimmer than common goldfish; no comet-specific maximum found.
Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Carassius auratus · FishBase: Carassius auratus summary · Wikipedia: Comet (goldfish) (cites Johnson & Hess 2006; Mulertt 1883)Legacy range lies inside FishBase's tolerance range. PetMD's indoor comfort range is 65-75 °F = 18-24 °C; 10 °C low end suits ponds.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summary · PetMD: Goldfish care sheet (vet-reviewed) · Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Carassius auratusInside FishBase range; PetMD gives 6.5-7.5.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summary · PetMD: Goldfish care sheet (vet-reviewed)Legacy has no hardness; FishBase value recorded.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summaryFishBase (goldfish in general): 100 cm tank; 100 x 40 x 40 cm = 160 L (100 x 35 x 35 = 122.5 L). PetMD's 20 US gal is for one juvenile. No comet-specific minimum found; since comets reach ~30 cm and are very active, the legacy 280 L or a pond is a reasonable recommendation above the sourced minimum.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summary · PetMD: Goldfish care sheet (vet-reviewed)Sources disagree: FishBase says groups of 5+, PetMD says they can be kept alone. Neither supports 2. Same finding as the goldfish file.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summary · PetMD: Goldfish care sheet (vet-reviewed)Typical lifespan 10-15 years (PetMD); comets 5-14 years (Wikipedia, citing Johnson & Hess). 20 years is possible but not typical.
PetMD: Goldfish care sheet (vet-reviewed) · Wikipedia: Comet (goldfish) (cites Johnson & Hess 2006; Mulertt 1883) · FishBase: Carassius auratus summaryMay still eat fry and very small fish.
PetMD: Goldfish care sheet (vet-reviewed)FishBase says benthopelagic; no source states 'all levels' in substance.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summaryPetMD difficulty of care: Beginner. Space is the main demand.
PetMD: Goldfish care sheet (vet-reviewed)Legacy has no native range.
Wang et al. 2013, PLoS ONE 8(3): e59571 (goldfish origin) · FishBase: Carassius auratus summaryOpercle = gill cover.
FishBase: Carassius auratus summary · Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Carassius auratusLegacy 4-7 days sits inside 2-9 days.
Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Carassius auratusPrimary source is Mulertt's own book. Wikipedia adds that it was first seen in the ponds of the US Fish Commission in Washington, D.C.; Mulertt's book does not say this. Size per the adultSizeCm claim.
Hugo Mulertt, The Goldfish and Its Systematic Culture, 3rd ed. (1902; first ed. 1883), ch. IV 'The Comet' · Wikipedia: Comet (goldfish) (cites Johnson & Hess 2006; Mulertt 1883)