Goldfish are a special type of domesticated carp bred primarily for the purpose of providing people with easy and reassuring pets to keep in their home or backyard pond
While other varieties of carp can grow to staggering sizes, in this list we will be focusing specifically on the smaller variety of domesticated goldfish
Goldfish are said to grow to suit their environment, reaching astonishing sizes when released into the wild or kept in especially large enclosures
Today we’ll be taking a look at 6 of the largest goldfish recorded in the world, as well as several intriguing honorable mentions
Location: Dongguan, China
Source: wikimediaorg
This charmingly pudgy specimen was bred by two fish farming brothers Jackie and Louis Chan from Hong Kong
After diligently breeding Red Oranda goldfish with the aim of landing a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, they ended up with Bruce, whose size has been compared to that of a house cat
The Chan brothers’ fish farm is one of the largest in China, and they have bred more than 100 varieties of goldfish
Source: mirrorcouk
Goldie the Goldfish is not only impressive in size – he has reached the ripe old age of 15 years
His owner, 83-year-old widow Ada Shaw, takes great care of him as her only companion since his tank mate died
When Ada first bought Goldie from a local pet store, he was only an inch long!
Goldfish by Mike Martin
Location: Lake St Clair, Michigan
Source: nydailynewscom
When fishing enthusiast Mike Martin felt a tug on the end of his line, he first thought he had landed a large perch
After 20 years of fishing experience, Mike had seen many rogue goldfish, but never expected to catch one
He called his father after picking up this prize specimen, who told him to put it in a bucket and take it home
Mike contacted the DNR to see what the state record for largest goldfish was, but did not hear back
Since it was probably the only specimen of its kind he would catch, Mike made plans to have it mounted on his wall
The “Monster Goldfish” of Lake Tahoe
Location: Lake Tahoe
Source: Heather Segale, scientificamericancom
When scientific researchers were sampling the waters of Lake Tahoe in a routine check for invasive species, they discovered goldfish specimens of astonishing size
About 15 of these monstrously large goldfish were discovered schooling in a corner of the lake, which suggested that they were procreating
This was cause for concern, as goldfish are an invasive species in Lake Tahoe and are causing damage to the ecosystem
Because of the damage that invasive species can cause to local ecosystems, introducing an invasive species into Lake Tahoe can result in fines of up to $5,000
Billy the Goldfish
Location: Dorset Lake, Surrey, England
Source: bbccom
The impressive gold that Nick Richards caught in Dorset Lake was previously believed to be the largest goldfish in Great Britain
Nick was originally fishing for common carp, but noticed an unusual bright orange flash and cast his line
At first he still thought he might have caught an exceptionally large carp, but closer inspection revealed that his catch was an overgrown goldfish that had probably once been a pet
After Billy the Goldfish was adequately photographed and measured, Nick kindly released him back into the lake immediately
During a later fishing trip, Nick may find that Billy got even bigger!
Goldfish by Lois Chilvers
Weight: 5 pounds 4 ounces
Location: Kent, England
Location: Kent, England
Date Discovered: 2017
Date Discovered: 2017
Date Discovered: 2017
Source: anglersmailcouk
The goldfish caught by Lois Chilvers is the largest goldfish in the world
While not officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, the goldfish that this proud 10-year-old boy caught broke the record for the largest goldfish caught in the United Kingdom
Lois caught her prize specimens at Chase Lakes during a fishing weekend with her father Gary
The two massive goldfish that Lois caught were believed to be former pets that grew too big for their tanks and ended up being released into the wild
While little information is available about these impressive goldfish specimens other than the data provided by the Guinness Book of World Records, they certainly deserve a place on this list as the latest official record holders
Weight: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Date Discovered: March 24, 2003
Joris Gijsbers had a goldfish that holds the Guinness World Record for the longest goldfish
Fantail and Comet Goldfish by Paul Schafer
Weight: 2 pounds
Weight: 2 pounds
Weight: 2 pounds
Weight: 2 pounds
Weight: 2 pounds
Date Discovered: October 1997
While larger specimens have since been caught, Paul Schafer boasts the verified Guinness World Record for Largest Goldfish for his Fantail and Komita