Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Goldfish (Carassius auratus) - High Risk

Carassius auratus, Goldfish, is a fish that is native to East Asia. It can survive in a wide range of environmental conditions and has been popular as an ornamental species around the world. C. auratus is omnivorous and alters local habitats through its feeding and movement. It may prey on the eggs of native fishes and bring exotic parasites to water bodies to introduced water bodies. This species is known to be susceptible to or a carrier of four viruses listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health. Due to its popularity in the pet trade, this species has been widely introduced. It has established nonnative populations on every continent except Antarctica and is widely distributed across most of the contiguous United States. The History of Invasiveness for C. auratus is classified as High due to its introduction and establishment globally and the associated environmental impacts. The climate matching analysis for the contiguous United States indicates establishment concern for this species. C. auratus has a high climate match across almost all the contiguous United States. The Certainty of Assessment for this ERSS is classified as High due to the amount of quality information available. The Overall Risk Assessment Category for C. auratus in the contiguous United States is High.

Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.