Eli5: What causes goldfish grow to such extreme sizes in the wild?
In: 1
Your thinking is backwards. Those are not extreme sizes, those are the natural sizes for those animals. That is how large they are *supposed* to get: in the wild, *Cassius auratus* can live upwards of 20 years and grow to 24 inches or more. It is goldfish in captivity who are severely stunted, usually because of insufficient care, poor water quality, and small space.
To be absolutely, 100% clear it is a myth that fish “grow to the size of their tank.” The reality is that they are just dying early and young because they don’t have enough space, and the lack of space is causing them to be deformed and stunted. It is not healthy for them.
Latest Answers