Goldfish Classification

A common question we receive is what is the scientific goldfish classification? This is important to know if you are discussing specific breeds or types of fish with people from other countries as the category names are globalally accepted. The simple scientific name for goldfish is Carassius auratus.

The complete Scientific name breakdown is below:

Class: Actinoptergii

Order: Cypriniformes

Family: Cyprinidai

Genus: Carassius

Species: Auratus

The goldfish belong to the largest Family of fishes in the world in the Cyprinidai Family. There are more than 2,000 species in this family. The closest relatives to the goldfish are the Crucian Carp (Carassius carassius) and the Koi (Cyprinus carpio).

To tell the difference between a goldfish and a carp look at their dorsal fin. Most goldfish have dorsal fins that are straight up while the carp dorsal fins are usually curved outward.

To tell the difference between a goldfish and a Koi look at their faces. The Koi have short small whiskers called barbels under their chins and at the sides of their mouths. Koi also have larger patches of color and grow a little larger up to 4 feet in length.

Within Carassius Auratus there are at least 125 varieties of goldfish. 

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