Head to head
Crucian Carp vs Goldfish
Crucian Carp
VS Goldfish
The crucian carp and the goldfish are close relatives in the same genus, and the crucian carp is often called the wild fish that most resembles a plain golden goldfish.
| Crucian Carp | Goldfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Carassius carassius | Carassius auratus |
| Relationship | A fellow member of the genus Carassius that can interbreed with the goldfish | A fellow member of the genus Carassius that can interbreed with the crucian carp |
| Origin | Wild, native to central and northern Europe and into Asia | Domesticated from the wild Prussian carp in China, with colour mutations selected for more than a thousand years |
| Colour and shape | A deep, rounded, golden-bronze body with a convex edge to its dorsal fin | Orange, red, white, black, and many other colours and fancy forms, though wild-type feral fish are olive or bronze |
| Barbels | None around the mouth | None around the mouth |
| Size | Usually 15 to 25 cm long, though occasionally larger | Pet fish 10 to 20 cm, while feral fish routinely reach 30 to 40 cm and 1 to 2 kg |
| Low-oxygen trick | Survives for months in frozen, oxygen-free ponds by turning lactic acid into ethanol, which it releases across its gills | Can survive weeks without oxygen, for example under ice, by the same lactic-acid-to-ethanol conversion |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, though pure populations have declined in parts of western Europe through pond loss and hybridisation | Least Concern, with feral and invasive populations across North America, Europe, and Australia |
Crucian Carp vs Goldfish: common questions
Is a crucian carp a goldfish?
No, the crucian carp is a separate wild species in the same genus, Carassius, while the goldfish was domesticated from the wild Prussian carp in China.
Do they share the same low-oxygen trick?
Yes, both turn lactic acid into ethanol and release it across their gills, which lets them survive in frozen, oxygen-free water.
Can the two interbreed?
Yes, the crucian carp can interbreed with the goldfish, and hybrids have diluted pure crucian carp populations in places.