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Canada's Species   Fish

Goldfish

Carassius auratus

The domesticated goldfish most people are familiar with are selectively bred to produce their distinctive gold or marbled colours, but goldfish populations which are released into the wild tend to revert to a drab olive colour. This takes place as a result of selection, because brightly-coloured fish are more susceptible to predation by birds such as herons. Goldfish originated in China, which is also where the practice of keeping them as ornamentals began. A goldfish farm was established in Maryland in 1889, and similar introductions have lead to a sporadic distribution in Canada. They occur in several shallow lakes in southern Ontario, and in parts of Lake Erie. While goldfish in artificial ponds are often susceptible to disease due to overcrowding and lack of predation, wild goldfish are more hardy, and are especially successful in small, weedy ponds.

   
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