# Goldfish (*Carassius auratus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/goldfish  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a bony fish in the family Cyprinidae, subfamily Cyprininae. It belongs to the genus Carassius in the order Cypriniformes and class Teleostei, and was named by (Linnaeus, 1758). Other English names for it include Carassin, Gold carp, Gibel carp and Prussian carp. On the IUCN Red List it is assessed globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | freshwater |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Teleostei
- order: Cypriniformes
- family: Cyprinidae
- genus: Carassius
- species: *Carassius auratus* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Carasius auratus*, *Carassius auratus*, *Carassius auratus argenteaphthalmus*, *Carassius auratus argenteaphthalmus*, *Carassius auratus ater*, *Carassius auratus auratus*, *Carassius auratus buergeri*, *Carassius auratus burgeri*, *Carassius auratus cantonensis*, *Carassius auratus cantonensis*, *Carassius auratus coeruleus*, *Carassius auratus discolor*, *Carassius auratus elegans*, *Carassius auratus grandoculis*, *Carassius auratus gyrantes*, *Carassius auratus italianus*, *Carassius auratus longicaudatus*, *Carassius auratus macrophthalmos*, *Carassius auratus magnificus*, *Carassius auratus ovatus*, *Carassius auratus ploetzia*, *Carassius auratus quadricolor*, *Carassius auratus ruber*, *Carassius auratus uranoscopus*, *Carassius auratus var. americanus*, *Carassius auratus var. cantonensis*, *Carassius auratus var. europensis*, *Carassius auratus var. oviformis*, *Carassius auratus var. simplex*, *Carassius auratus var. uranoscopus*, *Carassius auratus var. wui*, *Carassius auratus wui*, *Carassius auratus wui*, *Carassius buergeri*, *Carassius buergeri grandoculis*, *Carassius burgeri*, *Carassius carassius*, *Carassius carassius auratus*, *Carassius chinensis*, *Carassius coeruleus*, *Carassius discolor*, *Carassius encobia*, *Carassius grandoculis*, *Carassius japonicus*, *Carassius orientalis*, *Carassius pekinensis*, *Cyprinopsis aurata*, *Cyprinus abbreviatus*, *Cyprinus auratus*, *Cyprinus auratus kinyu*, *Cyprinus chinensis*, *Cyprinus coeruleus*, *Cyprinus gibelioides*, *Cyprinus gibelipides*, *Cyprinus langsdorfii*, *Cyprinus maillardi*, *Cyprinus mauritianus*, *Cyprinus nigrescens*, *Cyprinus pekinensis*, *Cyprinus quadrilobatus*, *Cyprinus telescopus*, *Cyprinus thoracatus*, *Leuciscus auratus*, *Neocarassius ventricosus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the goldfish?

The goldfish is a bony fish. It belongs to the family Cyprinidae in the order Cypriniformes.

### What is the scientific name of the goldfish?

The scientific name of the goldfish is Carassius auratus. It is placed in the genus Carassius.

### Who named the goldfish and when?

The goldfish's scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Is the goldfish endangered?

No. The goldfish is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in a global assessment, which is not a threatened category.

### What other names does the goldfish have?

Other English names for the goldfish are Carassin, Gold carp, Gibel carp and Prussian carp.

### What family does the goldfish belong to?

The goldfish belongs to the family Cyprinidae, subfamily Cyprininae.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Goldfish (Carassius auratus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/goldfish