There may be nothing more emblematic of the world of fishkeeping than a goldfish kept in a bowl, nor anything more inappropriate for the health, enjoyment, and display value of these marvelous fish. The author debunks many and varied myths revolving around the hobby’s original fish, including the complete unsuitability of that ubiquitous bowl.

Who hasn’t kept goldfish at some point? Perhaps we won one at the county fair, or bought one at a local fish shop—complete with bowl—using change from our piggy banks. For many of us, goldfish Carassius auratus were our introduction to the aquarium hobby, and for others, they served as a gateway into more exotic species. Many of us even stayed true to the goldfish and dedicated our entire hobby to them. Since the pioneering days of fishkeeping, goldfish have been among the most popular fishes kept. Their captive breeding has occurred in their native China since roughly 800 ad, making the goldfish one of the earliest fish to be domesticated. This long history of captive breeding is responsible for not only giving rise to so many different breeds within the species, but also for the many myths surrounding their care, history, and biology, which outnumber those of any other species of aquarium fish. This article’s purpose is to debunk some of those myths that have helped make the goldfish one of the most popular fishes, but remain abused, misunderstood, and neglected.

Let us begin with what is perhaps the most popular 10 goldfish myths.