Do Goldfish Yawn? Facts & FAQ

Every so often, you may be watching your goldfish and observe one of them begin to open its mouth incredibly wide, splay its fins in all directions as if stretching, and then return to how it was. Is this a goldfish "yawn?". The fact of the matter is goldfish don't yawn the same way humans do.

Do Goldfish Yawn?

Goldfish don't yawn. At least, not in the same way that people do. When people yawn, they take in a larger amount of air than usual to stretch their eardrums, then let out a deep exhale of breath. With goldfish, it is different.

Goldfish breathe when they take in water in one direction. It passes over their gill rakes and allows them to absorb oxygen. Occasionally, they decide it's time to reverse the process to clean themselves. They then take water from the opposite direction and force it through their gills to keep them from clogging up. They do not do this to stretch their gills or their bodies at all, but to stay in tip-top shape.

Goldfish aquarium — Image Credit: Mirek Kijewski, Shutterstock

Does a Yawning Goldfish Mean Something is Wrong?

Not unless there is a problem in the goldfish's environment. Goldfish may yawn repeatedly when they are suffering from poor water quality and are trying to regulate their oxygen level. If this is accompanied by gasping at the water's surface, you are probably encountering a problem in the tank such as oxygen deficiency or an ammonia surge. A fluke infestation, which damages the gills of the goldfish, may cause the goldfish to do this behavior repeatedly. But when nothing is wrong with the goldfish, it will only yawn once in a while and you have nothing to worry about.

You may also notice that your goldfish's eyes seem to "blink" when this happens. Goldfish don't have eyelids, so they are not blinking as we know it during this time, but are rolling their eyes in a way that mimics a human squeezing their eyelids shut.

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Featured Image Credit: Noheaphotos, Shutterstock