Goldfish- but the ones you don't eat

The Goldfish snack may be popular, but the living and breathing ones enjoy celebrity status as well.  Carassius Aratus, The Domestic Goldfish, is a pet that is popular from continent to continent- Asia to America.  This is mostly because out of all of the pets you can have, the goldfish costs the least, takes up the least amount of space, and needs minimal care.

Most goldfish live up to 7 years, but some have been rumoured to live up to 20.

The oldest living goldfish, Tish, lived for 43 years.

The goldfish's domestication started during the Tang Dynasty, when it was customary to keep goldfish in ponds outside of ones home. At one point, it was forbidden to own a yellow goldfish, because it was the royal family color!

Besides the various colors, goldfish have many different breeds. The Japanese Goldfish and the Fancy Goldfish are just two of the many variates that have been bred and domesticated. A rare type of Goldfish is the Oranda Goldfish, which has an egg-shaped body.  One of the most interesting types is the Pompom fish, which looks like it is carrying two small pompoms in its mouth.

Contrary to popular belief, not all goldfish behave the same-different goldfish behave differently, even with a short term memory.  Just like a hyper or a calm dog, there are several types of fish that will swim all day, and others that will barely swim fast at all.

Some people have been able to teach their goldfish tricks.  Because they have a selective memory, some fish remember certain things. This is why fish get excited around feeding time. Some tricks include putting a ball in a net and following hand signals.

Goldfish don't have to eat the normal flakes- this actually dirties the tank, and is not suggested if you don't clean the tank regularly.  Instead, you can feed your goldfish earthworms, romaine lettuce, or even cooked peas.