9 lb Goldfish found in Greenville, SC Pond. Photo: Greenville County Parks Rec Center
Can you guess how much this goldfish weighs?
Park officials recently found this massive Goldfish, weighing 9 lbs in a local Greenville South Carolina pond! The average goldfish found in home aquariums will not likely get to be this large, however there is a possibility.
And this is how:
Goldfish and Koi, a type of carp, are members of the family Cyprinidae. If you go back far enough in their history, you will find that goldfish originated from Prussian carp. Through the process of genetic selection goldfish were bred to be smaller than Koi. While they aren’t as closely related as they once were they still have many of the same traits. So you can see how with unlimited resources and perhaps a genetic mutation, a goldfish could grow to 9lbs.
Next time you think about it compare a photo of a Koi to a Goldfish and see how many similarities you can find, I bet there are more than you might have originally guessed.