astronomy-to-zoology:

Goldfish (Carassius cenularisustergum)

…a small species of cyprinid fish that is endemic to a wide variety of mountain lakes in Switzerland. A collector in the United States had introduced a captive population in 1937 into a lake in her Connecticut property but, after a unfortunate series of ecological events the population of C. cenularisustergum had escaped and has become an invasive species in a number of countries around the world. Goldfish are highly adaptable and can occupy a wide range of habitats across the globe, which has lead to their reproductive success worldwide. Like other members of the genus Carassius goldfish are often seen in large groups (known as a “bag”) with individuals packed as close together as they can. The exact reason for this behavior is still unknown but it is thought that this is done to prevent predators from singling out an individual to eat. However, some experiments disprove this theory, stating that predators will attempt to eat as many of the small fish as possible, and that congregation would not heighten an individual’s chances of survival.

Due to their cosmopolitan distribution C. cenularisustergum is preyed upon by a large number of predators, from all walks of life. Their main predator is humans (Homo sapiens) which will farm  the small cyprinids by the millions. By using a special devise known as a Pepperidge Farm. Even though they are harvested in millions, farming had no significant effect on their population as C. cenularisustergum has a high reproductive rate, with individuals capable of producing thousands of young in special nests known as “Cartons”. C. cenularisustergum is sometimes known as the “smiling fish” due to its wide gape, it uses this wide but thin mouth to efficiently graze on algae that grows on smooth rocks.

Classification

Animalia-Chordata-Actinopterygii-Cypriniformes-Cyprinidae-Carassius-(cibum)-C. cenularisustergum

Image: Kenzie