The taxonomy of Gyrodactylus species parasitizing captive goldfish (Carassius auratus (L.)) in North America is examined through study of museum-held specimens and fresh material collected in Nova Scotia. Evidence suggests at least two species are present. One is G. gurleyi Price, 1937, which the study redescribes from Texan syntypes and identifies on goldfish in Nova Scotia. A second species occurring in the Nova Scotian samples had a striking resemblance to G. kobayashii but this identification was not confirmed. Both G. gurleyi and the unidentified species are compared with species parasitizing goldfish in the Far East. The study concludes that the species studied probably arrived in North America with host shipments and that all previous reports of G. elegans Nordmann, 1832 and its supposed subspecies from goldfish in North America are incorrect identifications.