How Goldfish Hear

Goldfish Ears

Goldfish don’t have external ears but they do have internal ear bone masses called otolith that are suspended above a densely hair covered macular membrane. These internal ears are more complex than a human ear since sound vibration in water travel up to five times faster than sound does in air. When sound vibrations travel through the water and hit a goldfish, they are received through the goldfish’s swim bladder and weberian ossicles. The vibrations then enter the internal ears where the vibrations get deciphered and tells the goldfish where that sound is coming form.


Even though the ear of a goldfish is more complex they do not have the same hearing range as a human. A goldfish can hear 40 to 3,200 Hz and a healthy human can hear 20 to 20,000 Hz. Many goldfish can pick up on the vibrations or music or even the foot steps of a passerby. Tapping on the glass of a goldfish aquarium can be harmful to the health of a goldfish. A goldfish can become stressed out or even die if the vibrations from the tapping are severe enough. Vibrations that enter a goldfish aquarium can bounce off the other sides of the tank, confusing the goldfish. For that reason, goldfish in an aquarium are more sensitive to sound than those in a large pond or stream.

Goldfish Lateral Line

The lateral line of a goldfish also has the ability to detect vibrations but also senses water currents, pressures and motion. The lateral line runs along the side of a goldfish’s body, from the head to caudal tail. This sensory organ is often called a fish’s sixth sense.




photo credits:genista