Ok, this is a little lighthearted but so be it. I am curious why I can't find the answer to this online.
I was once told by someone involved with a nationwide kashrus organization that Pepperidge Farm Goldfish are specifically not given hasgacha as a gezeirah, so that children won't think real goldfish are kosher. (This presumably isn't an ingredient or production issue, as 95 of their other products are under supervision.)
I've always assumed this was common knowledge and I remember talking with friends about it, because you can certainly buy Beigel and Beigel goldfish in Israel. But I was talking to my wife and the principal of our day school about it and neither one of them had ever heard this explanation.
I assumed "everyone" knew this but apparently not. Does anyone have a "source" for this? (E.g., an article in Kashrus Magazine?) Has anyone else ever heard this before?
I'll edit this, given Fred's correction below. Apparently goldfish, being carp, are indeed kosher, although please keep them out of my gefilte fish. So, forgetting my narishkeit above, I'm left wondering why those of the Pepperidge Farm variety aren't kosher.