Popeyed Goldfish

"I caught a popeyed goldfish! Aw, look... He wants spinach..." —Animal Crossing (GCN)

"I caught a popeyed goldfish! I think he is in shock!" —Wild World

"I got a popeyed goldfish! It's bugging out!" —City Folk

"I caught a pop-eyed goldfish! It should have eaten its spinach!" —New Leaf

Popeyed Goldfish
Scientific name	Carassius auratus
Family	Cyprinidae- Minnows/Carp
Time of year	All year
Time of day	9 am to 4 pm
Location	River
Size	12 cm
Shadow size	Tiny
Rarity	Rare
Selling price	1,300 Bells
Main Appearances	DnM DnM+ AC DnMe+ WW CF NL
Other Appearances	PC

The Popeyed Goldfish (デメキン, Demekin) is a rare fish in the Animal Crossing series found in the river. It sells for 1,300 Bells in Tom Nook's Store or Re-Tail and appears all year from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Its shadow size is tiny. The flavor text from the Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: New Leaf versions refers to the cartoon Popeye, where spinach is a source of strength.

Donating to the museum

In Animal Crossing

As a Popeyed Goldfish is donated, Blathers will say this:

"Those adorable little fins! Those huge, googly eyes! Even I am helpless in the face of their cuteness! We will take special care of this precious fellow. Welcome to your new home, you darling little fishy!"

In Wild World

When a popeyed goldfish is donated, Blathers will say this:

"You should know, the eyes on the popeyed goldfish can occasionally pop out! There's nothing wrong, of course, and if you let the fish be, they go back in. Even so, the first time I witnessed it, MY eyes nearly popped out, wot wot!"

In City Folk

When accepting the fish for the Museum, Blathers will say this:

"Popeyed goldfish look like any other ordinary goldfish whilst still juveniles. As they begin to mature, their eyes bulge outward and gradually assume that distinctive appearance. Imagine how appalled you'd be if you brought one home thinking it was a normal goldfish...".

In New Leaf

An information board in the aquarium will display this description of the Popeyed Goldfish upon donation:

"They're known for their protruding eyes, as the name indicates, but this feature is actually a detriment. Their vision is quite poor, to the point that they will swim past food and frequently bump into things. They are a type of goldfish and get their distinguishing eye pop about two months after birth."

Encyclopedia information

Wild World

''Though their eyes are big, their vision is poor." Size- 15 cm Habitat- Rivers Season- All year

City Folk

''Though these have big eyes, their vision is quite poor. They use to look like ordinary goldfish, but as they age, they turn darker and their eyes bug out." Size- About 15 cm Habitat- River Season- All year

Further information

The Carassius auratus shares its scientific name with all types of Goldfish. The Popeyed Goldfish, or Black Moor Goldfish, is a harmless fish that lives in slow-flowing ponds, ditches, rivers, and lakes. It is a specially bred type of carp with large, protruding eyes, which, to some people's surprise, has poor eyesight as a result of its heavy inbreeding. It is related to other types of telescope fish, Carp and is indirectly related to the Koi. It feeds off of small insects, crustaceans, and plants. In China, it is called the dragon-eye. They are good for people who are just starting their freshwater tank.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Spanish	Pez telescopio	Literally, "telescope fish".
French	Cyprin doré	Goldfish
Italian	Black Moor (from Animal Crossing to Animal Crossing: City Folk) Pesce telescopio (New Leaf onward)	A Black moor is a black variant of the telescope goldfish. Pesce telescopio has the same meaning as English and is the common name used to describe telescope eyes goldfish.