Goldfish genome lends insights into origins and domestication

Researchers report the sequence of the goldfish genome and identify regions subjected to selection during 1,000 years of breeding. Considered the same species as crucian carp, modern goldfish have been subjected to more than a millennium of strong artificial selection for coloration, eye style, and other aesthetic features. Duo Chen, Zhen Huang, Marc Van Montagu, Haibao Tang, Yves Van de Peer, Youqiang Chen, Jisen Zhang, and colleagues report the goldfish genome sequence and pinpoint genomic regions subjected to selection during approximately 1,000 years of breeding. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the goldfish, Carassius auratus, originated from two different progenitor species, and a whole genome duplication was introduced before the goldfish diverged from the common carp, around 13-16 million years ago. The copies provided by this genome duplication may have enabled artificial selection for traits such as fin shape, while shielding goldfish from deleterious mutations in essential genes. The authors resequenced 185 different goldfish varieties, including prized ornamental lines, and 16 wild crucian carp. Additionally, the authors identified a tyrosine protein kinase receptor as a candidate causal gene for a trait exemplifying classic Mendelian inheritance in goldfish, namely the transparent mutant, which is thought to have been recorded as early as 1579. According to the authors, the genome sequences could enable the use of goldfish as a model for examining natural mutations, artificial selection, and domestication.

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ARTICLE #20-05545: “The evolutionary origin and domestication history of goldfish (Carassius auratus),” by Duo Chen, Qing Zhang, Weiqi Tang, Zhen Huang, Gang Wang, et al.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jisen Zhang, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, CHINA; e-mail:

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