Ron Arendt, age 13, of Stratford, Conn., for his question:

WHEN WERE GOLDFISH BROUGHT TO AMERICA?

Goldfish came from China and Japan where for centuries they were bred to produce beautiful fins and body forms as well as colorful skins of gold, red, orange, bronze, brown, gray, black and white. They were brought to the United States from the Orient in 1878. Today there are goldfish farms in many parts of the country.

Goldfish is a type of carp. Although more than 100 fancy varieties can be found, only about 20 of them are sold today. They have such elegant names as veiltail, fantail, comet and nymph. One type, called the scaleless, has scales so thin that they can hardly be seen.

Large golden carp have been known to live for more than 50 years. Wild goldfish usually live until they are about 15 but those in home tanks live less than five years.