The "Goldfish Yawn" Factor...

[ClinicaTerraLTD]

Every so often, my four fancy goldfish will exhibit (not at the same time, I'm just saying they all do it at some point) what I perceive as a "yawn," in which they will open their mouths wide as if they're stretching their breathing facilities or gills or something along those lines...

I had read someplace, I believe, that this is actually a good, positive sign -- that they are kind of "basking" in or "taking in" an oxygen-rich water environment and that they can breathe easily and comfortably; rest assured, I do not see them constantly gasping at the surface, looking all stressed out, which I understand is a clear sign of lack of oxygen or good water...but with two 18" bubble bars going pretty strong plus the outflow power of my two large HOBs, there is a PLETHORA of water movement and current/agitation in this tank, thus I didn't think they had a breathing problem...

Is this "yawn"-like symptom normal and/or a sign of a healthy fancy?

[madagascariensis]

All of my fish open and close their mouths in a slow and exaggerated motion from to,e to time. It is not a symptom of illness but also does not seem to indicate especially good health. I would just say it is a form of stretching for them, just like humans sometimes stretch aft getting out of bed, etc. I would just consider it normal behavior.

[ClinicaTerraLTD]

All of my fish open and close their mouths in a slow and exaggerated motion from to,e to time. It is not a symptom of illness but also does not seem to indicate especially good health. I would just say it is a form of stretching for them, just like humans sometimes stretch aft getting out of bed, etc. I would just consider it normal behavior.

Well, part of your statement isn't good news (that it's not a particularly clear sign of "good health"); now I'm concerned...

I realize you believe it's "normal" aquatic behavior, but is it not possible -- a theory based on something that I recall I read at some point if I am not mistaken -- that this "yawn" activity indicates, perhaps specifically with goldfish, that they have plenty of dissolved oxygen levels in their water and are just able to "breathe more easily"?

[madagascariensis]

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I was not saying that yawni was a sign of bad health, what I was trying to say was that it does not seem, at least to me, to have much correlation wi health, if any at all. Now I will not exclude the possibility of yawning indicating a high oxygen environment in some species of fish, as there is no way for me to prove it and the world is full of inexplicable things anyways, but just off the top, it sounds a bit counterintuitive to me. If a fish is indeed having less trouble breathing, why would it go through abnormally exaggerated breathing movements? Sorry that I can't provide a definitive answer.

[ClinicaTerraLTD]

Thank you; I appreciate your input.

[ClinicaTerraLTD]

Here is what someone on another forum told me regarding this behavior:

If it's not frequent or accompanied by flashing, then they are cleaning themselves.

Water only passes over their gill rakers in one direction. When they yawn, they are forcing water through their gills in the opposite direction - kind of like back washing them - to clean them.

Totally normal.

Any thoughts?

[ClinicaTerraLTD]

Edit; apologies.