Can you get sick from eating a live goldfish? That’s a question that people usually ask when they want to eat goldfish.
There is no reason why you should not eat your goldfish, even though they are edible. It’s up to you to decide what you want to do with them.
You should not eat your pet for a number of reasons. Furthermore, goldfish is considered one of the poorest food choices given its lack of taste and the danger it poses to your health. Animals should never consume goldfish either.
There is a good reason for this, and that is because goldfish can carry bacteria or parasites that are extremely harmful to you or your pets. Some individuals may even be affected in a life-threatening manner.
Read on to discover how to eat goldfish properly and what to expect when you do.
Related Articles:
- The Risk Dangers Of Side Effects Of Eating A Live Goldfish: 4 Causes
- Are Goldfish Edible? – 3 Reasons They’re Never A Great Meal
- Can Axolotls Eat Goldfish? – Axolotls’ Best Tankmates
What Are The Risks Of Eating Goldfish? – Can You Get Sick From Eating A Live Goldfish
Humans
Goldfish can make you sick if you eat them, this is true. Goldfish have been shown to be life-threatening, however, in some instances.
It is sometimes possible to find that goldfish are carrying bacteria around with them.
The bacterium responsible for the disease is called Mycobacteria, also known as fish tuberculosis.
Hence, ingesting goldfish will end up being hazardous to your health, since you will also swallow bacteria that have been ingested by the fish, even if the fish was cooked.
If you are unfamiliar with where your goldfish came from and if it is not one of your pet fishes then you might not realize that it carries bacteria.
There are also some diseases and parasites that can be transmitted through pet goldfish that can’t be prevented if ingested.
These diseases and parasites are rare but shouldn’t be taken lightly. As you may not know whether they have it or not, I recommend you to not risk everything by asking them.
For the same reasons stated above, eating goldfish in a pond or wild goldfish, in general, is not healthy for your overall health.
Wild goldfish could carry harmful particles such as bacteria that can cause death.
Additionally, you do not have any knowledge of what conditions are used to raise these wild goldfish.
Animals
As you now know, eating fish isn’t good for your overall health and for your health, and humans shouldn’t consume goldfish.
Although we haven’t talked about other animals, we will be discussing them later.
Since goldfish are not good for humans to consume, it is no wonder that it would not be good for animals to consume as well.
They will not get nutrition from the fish and would be unfit for consumption. If you consider the price of the fish you can get much better and cheaper options.
It is therefore advisable to avoid letting your cat enter your goldfish aquarium if you have one.
It doesn’t matter to them whether the fish are edible or not, they just like to watch them and play with them.
In addition, make sure your fish tank is covered with a lid, in case the fish drown.
When you keep your goldfish outside in a pond or something similar, you will have to protect them from wild animals.
There is no point in killing your fish and harming other animals just because it is a good idea to protect your own fish. A simple net can be used to provide protection for your pond.
What Is The Reason We Don’t Eat Goldfish?
Ethics
There is so much cruelty involved in the act of eating a goldfish, especially if it’s a pet. There are so many reasons for this as well.
Although some people eat goldfish, there are others who do not. It has been reported that some people on YouTube, for example, enjoy eating them as part of a challenge (please don’t look up these videos, I am doing you a favor).
Indeed, there are many videos available online that provide information on this subject.
In American colleges in the 1930s, this was also the prevailing trend. Goldfish, of course, are not, and have never been eaten by the majority of people.
It’s not only cruel to animals but it’s potentially harmful to health, doesn’t taste good, and requires more time and effort to prepare and cook for such a small amount of meat.
Therefore, it is our request to you not to do this, even if it is just to get your attention or to challenge you.
Nevertheless, continue reading, if you do not believe all the health concerns.
Health
In order to maintain good health, eating goldfish is really not a good idea. I am sure that most of you don’t believe me, but keep reading in order to become convinced.
There are extremely rare instances for goldfish to cause sickness, and there have even been cases where they have even led to death.
There is a possibility that goldfish can harbor parasitic infections such as capillaryasis philippinensis, which is an intestinal worm.
Therefore, if you consume goldfish, you are going to experience a wide range of unpleasant side effects, as one might expect.
There are several symptoms that are most common when you ingest these intestinal worms, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fatigue.
In some instances, you can die from ingesting these intestinal worms.
Cooking your goldfish will ensure that some of the bacteria go away, but other bacteria will not.
Although your goldfish may seem healthy on the outside, you never really know what is going on inside.
You should also know that goldfish can also carry mycobacterial diseases on them, which is another example of how dangerous it is to eat goldfish.
No matter whether they are cooked or raw, you should avoid eating goldfish. Regardless of whether they are cooked or raw, they are still infectious.
As a result of these bacterial infections, joint pain, tendonitis, skin lesions, and even sepsis, which is a serious illness that can prove fatal when it comes to humans and other animals alike.
The following points make it clear that even if you catch goldfish from your own fishbowl or pond, it is not a good idea to eat them.
In truth, it is not worth the health risks involved in using this form of sugar, and there are so many other healthier and more nutritional options available to you.
Legality
You are actually not allowed to eat goldfish in the UK. There are many reasons why this may seem a bit frightening to you.
One of them is that the fish in question has been consumed by multiple people before. Can you imagine someone doing that?
Actually, in 2015 there was a case in Wales in which a man was caught eating a goldfish after it had been won at a fair just 24 hours earlier.
It was a rather intimidating experience for him a bit later on, and he had to pay a fine of 200 British pounds, and he was not permitted to own a pet for three years.
There is, however, no legal restriction about eating goldfish in most other countries.
Video About The Harmful Factors When Eating Goldfish
Conclusion
As a result, even though a goldfish is technically edible, it is best not to have it around yourself.
Likewise, you should not feed the goldfish to your pets or wild animals. No matter if you obtain a pet or a wild fish, you should not eat the fish, regardless of where it is found.
When ingestion of goldfish can result in the infection of the body with mycobacteria or parasites that may damage the body or even cause death.
Among the many options that are available to you or your pets, there are a number of far more nutritious and inexpensive ones.
In addition, you won’t have to worry about harming your health by using any of the alternatives.
That’s why I strongly encourage you not to eat your goldfish!
Annette M. Chaney is an experienced marine biologist with over 20 years of experience as an aquarist and fishkeeper. She started her first aquarium at a young age, filling it with frogs and goldfish obtained from the ten-cent pet store.
Annette grew up caring for and breeding African Cichlids, which led to a hobby in high school that doubled as a profitable means. Attending Reed College gave her time to solidify herself as an accomplished aquarium caretaker with an eye for sales. After that, from 2009 – 2013, she studied at Roger Williams University – one of the most prestigious universities for Aquaculture and Aquarium in USA. She is the founder of AquariumCircle since 2010.