On November 21, 2022, a "world's largest goldfish" was caught by British anglers. According to reports, the goldfish weighs 67 pounds and 4 ounces, which translates to 30.5 kilograms.
This individual is indeed quite large, and if it were a goldfish, it could really break records. However, it is really not a "goldfish", it looks quite big, how much can it sell for?
61 pounds of "goldfish" caught by British anglers
What is the origin of this "goldfish"? Not a goldfish, so what kind of fish is it?
This fish is not so mysterious, because it was put into this fishing ground in France more than 20 years ago, and it was given a good name, "carrot". It has been caught many times by anglers.
The fishery is called Bluewater Lake Fishing Ground, and when owner Jason Cowler stocked it more than 20 years ago, it was just a small fry about the size of a guppies.
The owner of the fishing ground puts a small "goldfish" as a standard fish, so that anglers can have a little more fun when fishing. Every time someone catches it, they put it back into the lake.
Because the fishing grounds are often fished, the "carrot" has plenty of food, so it grows quickly. Usually, it is rarely caught ashore.
On November 21, 2022, British angler Andy Hackett was on vacation in France, so he went fishing in Bluewater Lake.
He knows that there is such a big fish in the bluewater lake fishing ground, because of this fishing ground, he has fished many times and is more familiar.
In fact, he didn't know that he would catch the "carrot", after the fish bit the hook, he walked the fish for 25 minutes, and when the fish was on the shore, he knew that he caught the "carrot".
Andy Hackett's "goldfish"
The big fish called "carrot" caught by Andy Hackett is, as the media says, a goldfish?
It's not a goldfish!
In fact, goldfish are crucian carp, the same species, academically, their names are the same (Carassius auratus). The goldfish, which we usually talk about, evolved from common crucian carp and farmed as an ornamental fish.
Goldfish is an ornamental fish native to the mainland, and goldfish account for a large share of ornamental fish exports, and other countries are imported and cultivated from the mainland.
Goldfish as crucian carp, it is beardless. And we can clearly see that the "goldfish" caught by Andy Hackett is bearded, but it is actually a carp.
The "goldfish" caught by Andy Hackett had beards
From the outside, this large fish is orange throughout, like our usual koi, but without patterns. In fact, it is a cross of koi.
In European waters, the German mirror carp is a common carp species, divided into mirror carp with fish scales and mirror carp without fish scales, three scales with fish scales, and skin carp without fish scales (called leather carp in Europe, mirror carp in mainland China).
Europeans do not like mirror carps without fish scales, and more approve of mirror carps with several scales. Therefore, ornamental fish crossed with leather carp are also not recognized.
And "carrot" is a cross between koi and skin carp without scales.
Obviously, when cultivating, the choice of father and mother has already determined that it is not valuable.
Koi is also an early farmed ornamental fish in the mainland, in the 17th century, Japan introduced from the mainland, focusing on cultivating koi, while the mainland prefers to raise goldfish, which is equivalent to ordering different ornamental fish technology trees. Therefore, all countries believe that koi is native to Japan.
This is not the first time the British press has reported on the world's largest goldfish.
In 2019, the "goldfish" reported in the UK was actually a koi, more than 27 pounds, and it was also caught from France.
In 2019, the UK reported the world's largest goldfish
Does a goldfish have a Guinness World Record? How big can it grow?
Goldfish really have Guinness World Records. Let's take a look at the list of goldfish weights.
In 2017, a goldfish caught by a little girl in Kent, England, 33 cm, about 4 pounds and 7 taels.
Goldfish Guinness World Record, about 4 pounds 7 taels
In 2008, a British teenager caught a goldfish about 40 centimeters long and weighing about 4 pounds and 4 taels in Lake Dorset.
In 2008, British teenagers caught 4.4 pounds of goldfish
In 2013, an American girl caught a goldfish about 46 centimeters long and weighing about 3.8 pounds in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
In 2013, American girls caught 3.8 pounds of goldfish
Of course, these goldfish caught in wild waters look like a colored crucian carp, which is not ornamental enough, and it is still not as good as our domestication.
Mainland-bred ornamental goldfish