The ancestor of the goldfish is the carp. In the lakes and rivers of China and Japan, the greenish-gray carp is found in great quantities, and this is where the goldfish was first developed.

The Chinese have been breeding goldfish for centuries, and the Japanese have raised goldfish for more than 400 years! Goldfish weren’t known to Europe until a few were brought over about 200 years ago. These were given to Madame Pornpadour of the court of King Louis XV of France. Because she was the leader of fashion, other people began importing them.

Goldfish vary from 4 centimeters to about 30 centimeters. The common goldfish, the fantail, the comet, and the nymph, are the breeds best known to the Western world. The common goldfish has a slender body and rather short, tough fins.

The fantail has a shorter, fatter body with double tail and fins. The American-bred comet is slender, with a long, single, deeply forked and free-flowing tail. The nymph is like the comet but has a round body.

All these breeds may be kept in an aquarium, and millions of people have them in their homes. If you would like to keep gold fish, there are certain things you should know about them and their care.

The lowering of the back fin of a fish is a sure sign that it is good condition. A fungus disease, caused by plant parasites, is also common. In this, a white scum develops on the fins of the fish and extends over the body. If this scum reaches the gills, it keeps the fish from breathing and kills it.

This disease can be cured by giving the fish a salt-water bath which will also correct the lowered-fin condition. One tablespoon of salt to a gallon of water the same temperature as that in the aquarium may be used for a daily 30-minute bath. The fish should be placed in a shallow basin containing this solution and set in a dim light.

Then the aquarium and plants should be soaked for four hours in a very weak solution of potassium permanganate, washed, and filled with a fresh supply of clean water. In two, or three days, the fish may be put back into it.