What Happens to Swallowed Goldfish?
Interestingly, one of the common questions I have encountered when researching the phenomenon of goldfish swallowing is simply, “What happens to the goldfish?” This question seems easy enough to answer, but further investigation finds that it is not always what one might expect. Surely, some goldfish suffer a much different fate than their other–somewhat luckier–counterparts. Thanks in part to an episode of the popular MTV series “Jackass,” some individuals choose to swallow goldfish for the sole purpose of trying to regurgitate it unharmed. A variety of factors play into the success of these attempts, and swallowers have experienced varying degrees of success. The amount of water consumed before swallowing the fish (and immediately after) is one major factor, as large volumes of water help to dilute stomach acid and carry the fish back up the esophagus during vomiting. Likewise (though much less tidy), the amount of food eaten within a couple of hours before swallowing the fish can
