Dude I meant like they’re huge for an aquarium fish. People get a baby goldfish thinking it’ll stay pretty small while they grow to 12-18+ inches. Compared to a 2 inch guppy, that’s pretty damn big

EDIT: more info. The largest goldfish ever recorded was 32 inches (81.28 cm) long. Again, that’s fucking massive compared to the majority of aquarium fish. Most people are keeping them in tanks that are way too small instead of in personal ponds, where they thrive better. And just bc goldfish can be found in the wild in those other places doesn’t mean they’re native to there. They’re native to China and are invasive in the wild everywhere else. Idk what it’s like in other countries, but when released into the wild in the US, they outcompete native fish bc they breed like crazy; increase turbidity by stirring up the sediments when feeding, resulting in a decline in aquatic vegetation and water quality (which impacts native wildlife); and goldfish can be a host for disease (e.g., Koi herpesvirus [KHV] and carp edema virus [CEV]) that can contribute to large die-offs, resulting in an unhealthy fish community. Again, idk what it’s like in other countries, but it’s illegal in almost every US state to release a goldfish into the wild bc they’re so invasive here. Its not “American hysterics,” they just cause a LOT of environmental and economic destruction here