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<br />19 <br /> <br />Goldfish <br />Carassius auratus (Linnaeus 1758) <br /> <br /> <br />Figure 11. Goldfish, SIUC 22609, 122.5 millimeter SL, from Alexander County, Illinois. <br /> <br />Description <br /> <br />The Goldfish (fig. 11) is a robust, medium-sized <br />cyprinid that generally reaches 15-20 em TL and weighs <br />100-300 g (Szczerbowski, 2001). Maximum size is <br />about 59 em TL and 3 kg (IGFA, 2001). The lateral <br />line is complete, typically with 26-33 scales (range <br />25-36). The mouth is terminal, slightly oblique, and <br />lacks barbels. The dorsal fin is long with iii-iv (13-19) <br />rays, and a stout, spine-like ray precedes the branched <br />rays. The anal fin has ii-iii (5-6) rays. The caudal fin is <br />deeply emarginate and the belly lacks a keel. Pharyngeal <br />teeth are in one row (0,4-4,0) and are somewhat molar- <br />like, but narrow and smooth edged, without extensive <br />grinding surfaces (fig. 12). Gill rakers on the first arch <br />number 37-53. The peritoneum is blackish. Sexual <br />dimorphism is not pronounced (Dombrovski, 1964, <br />in Szczerbowski, 2001). Wild Goldfish are typically <br />olive-green, gray, or silver; ornamental forms exhibit <br />a range of colors (see section on variation, below). <br />Breeding males may develop small nuptial tubercles <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br /> <br />Figure 12. Pharyngeal teeth (0,4-4,0) of Goldfish, <br />SIUC 22609,122.5 millimeter SL, from Alexander <br />County, Illinois. (Also see fig. 3, p. 8.) <br /> <br />on the operculum, dorsum, and pectoral fin rays (Coad, <br />2005). These structures are white and small; often giving <br />the false impression the fish is infected with the disease <br />"ich." Meristics for Goldfish are given in appendix B. <br />