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Goldfish vision: the science and the numbers

Carassius auratus · order Cypriniformes · Fish: all the numbers

Goldfish have four colour channels, including ultraviolet (360, 455, 532 and 614 nm).[1][2][3] Their sharpest vision resolves 3 cycles per degree, against 63.75 for people in this dataset.[8] Goldfish stop seeing flicker at 53.6 Hz, against 60 Hz for people.[29][30]

See it on your photoBack to How do goldfish see?
  • 4colour receptor classesMeasured*
  • 3cycles per degree (sharpness)Measured
  • 53.6hertz flicker fusion (motion)Measured

The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a fish in the order Cypriniformes. Its eyes belong to the vision type Shallow-water fish tetrachromat: four cone types including ultraviolet and far red. Measured in this species: colour, sharpness and motion (flicker fusion). Measured core: measured values on at least 3 of the 6 dials.

This is a simulation built from published eye measurements, not what the animal experiences.

Method: How we know what animals see (the See Like Animals vision engine) · Sources · Last updated . Every value below carries its evidence level and sources; nothing is typed by hand.

What goldfish see: colour receptors

Goldfish colour receptor peaks, 300 to 700 nmGoldfish: 4 receptor peaks at 360, 455, 532, 614 nm; you: 3 at 421.5, 532, 558.4 nm. ultraviolet300400500600700
Goldfish: 360, 455, 532, 614 nmPeople: 421.5, 532, 558.4 nmWavelength in nanometres

What stands out

  • It has 4 colour receptor classes, including ultraviolet; people have 3.
  • Its sharpest vision resolves 3 cycles per degree: the finest stripe pattern it can tell apart from grey.
  • It stops seeing flicker at 53.6 Hz, against 60 Hz for people in this dataset, so fast motion looks choppier to it.[29][31]

The six dials

Evidence levels: how the tiers work. "Measured" means a value measured in this species; "Estimated" values come from a close relative or an eye-size formula. The last column gives the values for people from the same catalogue.

Vision values for the goldfish (Carassius auratus), catalogue-v1
DialValueEvidenceSourcesPeople
ColourColour receptors
4 receptor classes: 360 nm (UVS), 455 nm (SWS (blue)), 532 nm (MWS (green)), 614 nm (LWS (long))
measured in this species
Measured (not re-verified)[1][2][3]Colour receptors: 3 receptor classes: 421.5 nm (VS/SWS (violet)), 532 nm (MWS (green)), 558.4 nm (LWS (long)) Measured (not re-verified)[4][5][6][7]
Ultraviolet
yes: at least one receptor peaks in the ultraviolet		Measured (not re-verified)
SharpnessAcuity
3 cycles per degree
median of 7 behavioural rows (method priority rule)
Measured[8]Acuity: 63.75 cycles per degree Measured[9][10]
Field of viewBinocular overlap
32.85°
median of 2 relatives in family Cyprinidae: Danio rerio, Notemigonus crysoleucas
Estimated[11]Binocular overlap: 122.5° Measured[12][13]
Total field of view: 200° Measured (not re-verified)[14]
Blind area behind the head: 160° Derived[14]
Eye placement: frontal Derived[12][13]
Eye placement
lateral		Estimated[11]
Sharp zones (foveas)Number of foveas
0
group default: mode of tier-A values in vision type the "Shallow-water fish tetrachromat" type within phylum Chordata (2 species: Toxotes jaculatrix, Anableps anableps)
Group default[15][16]Number of foveas: 1 Measured[17]
Fovea type: fovea Measured[17]
Fovea type
ventrotemporal area (high rgc density)		Group default[15][16]
Night visionActivity pattern
diurnal
group default: mode of tier-A values in vision type the "Shallow-water fish tetrachromat" type within phylum Chordata (1 species: Amphiprion ocellaris)
Group default[18]Activity pattern: diurnal Measured (not re-verified)[19][20][21][4][22][23][24][25]
Pupil shape: vertical Group default[26][27]
Reflective layer (tapetum): no Measured[28]
Rods vs cones: cone-dominated Derived[19][20][21][4][22][23][24][25]
Rods vs cones
cone-dominated		Group default[18]
Motion (flicker fusion)Flicker fusion frequency
53.6 Hz
median of 2 bright-light rows (behavioural/whole-eye ERG rows; all rows: [40.0, 67.2])
Measured[29][30]Flicker fusion frequency: 60 Hz Measured[29][31]

All fish side by side: Fish: every measurement. Method: how we know what animals see.

Sources

  1. Schweikert et al. 2018
  2. VPOD in-vivo (MSP / single-cell) lambda… 2025
  3. Hárosi et al. 1974
  4. Longcore 2023
  5. Kirwan
  6. Müller et al. 2009
  7. Thermal Activation and Photoactivation of Visual… 2004
  8. Caves et al. 2017
  9. Kirk et al. 2004
  10. Veilleux et al. 2014
  11. Pita et al. 2015
  12. Heesy 2004
  13. Heffner et al. 1992
  14. Campbell & Green 1965
  15. Schwab et al. 2001
  16. Temple et al. 2010
  17. Kopania et al. 2025
  18. Froese et al.
  19. Anderson et al. 2017
  20. Borges et al. 2018
  21. Wilman et al. 2014
  22. Maor et al. 2017
  23. Jones et al. 2009
  24. Schmitz et al. 2011
  25. Moura et al. 2024
  26. Banks et al. 2015
  27. Cervino et al. 2021
  28. Guareschi et al. 2025
  29. Healy et al. 2013
  30. Lafitte et al. 2022
  31. Inger et al. 2014

Every value cites its sources (all sources). Values were extracted from these works and converted (units, medians, derived values); changes are ours, and the listed sources do not endorse this site. Data: catalogue-v1, built 2026-09-29. Accuracy notes: how accurate is this? Method: how we know.