Types of goldfish

In aquariums, a wide variety of animals are bred. But even with all their diversity, goldfish are deservedly popular - they are known even to people far from aquarium hobby. It is helpful to understand what this species is and how exactly it should be handled.

They bred goldfish in imperial China about 1500 years ago. The starting point in the breeding work was the goldfish. The bred fish settled both in ponds and in luxurious vases.

Some of them - with a large long body - outwardly resemble the ancestral form (wild carp). A feature of large goldfish are:

• significant mobility;
• noticeable endurance;
• long life span (sometimes reaching 20 years);
• reduced oxygen demand.

This group includes:

• ordinary goldfish (the one that is most often called that);
• comet;
• vakin.

Short-bodied individuals also deserve attention. They are characterized by a variety of appearance.

Due to the ichthyological experiment, a number of negative consequences have turned out, such as:

• weakening of immunity;
• loss of body tone;
• frequent illnesses;
• difficulties in adaptation;
• shorter life expectancy;
• increased exactingness to the conditions of detention.

Experienced people know this paradox - small aquarium goldfish need even a larger aquarium than their large relatives.

It should be borne in mind that different countries have their own specific names for goldfish. This is explained by the fact that they were taken out simultaneously in various states.

It is appropriate to start the description with the most common (as they are called) goldfish. It was this breed group that was created first of all on the basis of wild crucian carp. They are similar to their ancestors in the geometry of the main body surface and the configuration of the fins. The difference is expressed in tonality (golden-red color is characteristic).

Species aquariums are preferred. If this cannot be ensured, a completely peaceful neighborhood must be guaranteed. Regular golds need a varied, well-balanced diet. Nutrient compositions of flora and fauna are used. The forms can be different - and granular preparations, and tablets, and sticks, and frozen food.

Wakins are better known as the Japanese type of goldfish. They differ from their Chinese counterparts in their rolling build. The tail can be single or double, but in both cases it is slightly elongated. The length of the wakin reaches 0.3 m. The color of this breed variety can be white and red, and mixed colors are also found.

But comets are easy and simple to keep. The length of adults is limited to 0.15 m, the elongated tail bifurcates. For your information: the longer the tail, the more valuable a particular individual is, while the rest of the fins are only slightly elongated.

As for the artificially bred varieties, the fan-tail is quite popular. This type was first introduced in China, but not in antiquity, but in the middle of the 19th century. Such fish are characterized by:

• bloating of the torso;
• dominant orange-red tonality;
• length 0.1 m;
• tail of two completely or partially fused halves with a transparent stripe along the perimeter.

In fan-tails, a dorsal fin of considerable height is formed. The rest of the projections on the body are of normal or slightly increased length. The lifespan of a fan-tail is approximately 10 years.

Even more popular among artificially cultivated varieties is voiletail... It's easy to recognize him - these goldfish are perceived as a ball or egg topped with a large head. Veil-tails can grow up to 0.2 m. The longest life span is 15 years. Scales are not always present. Elongated fins are thin. The tail is formed by several fused lobes, and together they look like a veil or a fluffy dress.

Noteworthy is the Japanese type of riukin. It is characterized by:

• relatively large size;
• enlarged front part;
• motley painting of the head;
• relatively high dorsal fin;
• dividing the tail into 3 or 4 segments;
• monotonous or variegated color.

Curious that it was on the basis of the riukins that the veil-tails were bred.

In the family of goldfish the pearl stands out not only for its rounded shape. All scales are raised up, like a dome.There is a dark strip along their perimeter. This peculiar "chain mail" resembles a dense layer of pearls. If part of the scales is deformed, it will soon grow again, but without a graceful strip.

The body of a pearl reaches a length of 0.07-0.08 m. On her back, the fin is placed vertically, and all other fins are collected in pairs. Their length is not too great. The tail is clearly divided into 2 lobes that do not hang down. Pearls are available in gold, white and red-orange colors.

Due to its unusual body geometry, many aquarists overfeed or underfeed it. But pearl fry look very funny. By 8 weeks, they already resemble adults, second only to them in size.

Lionheads also have very unusual scales. True, in structure it does not differ from the usual one, but it can have 2 or 3 colors in each scale. There are other variants of fish:

• with transparent scales;
• with a pearlescent color;
• without scales at all.

This category includes a goldfish - water eyes, which has another name - bubble eye... It is this view that many consider the most strange among other representatives of this decorative group. It is noteworthy that the dorsal fin is absent on the body 0.15-0.2 m long. In this case, there are bubbles located on the underside of the eyes. Although such sections sometimes reach 25% of the entire length of the body, they are very gentle and sensitive to all external influences.

Oranda has growths somewhat different in appearance - they are located both on the head and, to a lesser extent, on the gills. Abroad, this fish is sometimes called the goose head. There are white, variegated, black oranda, but reds are valued as highly as possible.

Lionhead got its name also because of the characteristic, mane-like growths. Sometimes, however, they evoke associations not with the back of the head of an African predator, but with a raspberry berry. By the time of growing up, the growths cover the entire volume of the head. Lionheads have no dorsal fin; other fins are small in length. The tail of such fish is divided into 2 or 3 parts.

Ranchu Are lionheads from Korea. There are almost no external differences from the previous type. However, the growths are not formed by 3 months of life, but after 2-3 years. For your information: some ranches do not have growths, but are covered with medium-sized colored specks on the lips, eyes, fins. At the same time, the surface of the fish is colorless.

There are goldfish of various tones. So, just the red tonality has its counterparts - pale pink and fiery red. You can also see goldfish in white, black-blue, pure black, dark bronze and yellow colors. Shubunkin looks very nice, it is also a comet - the "chintz" color of this fish is formed by blue, red, black and white blotches. It is curious that shubunkins do not have scales.

Immediately draws attention to itself also bristol shubunkin. Already by name it is easy to guess where it comes from. The normal color for Bristols is a blue background, against which purple, orange, brown, yellow, red and black spots are placed.

Jikin, he is a peacock or peacock tail, has 6 red body parts, and everything else is painted in white. For your information: it is very difficult to get a clean line of this breed.Therefore, even in Japan, many people prefer to remove foreign pigments from the white surfaces of the body.

Spotted (or otherwise variegated) are usually called fish, which have parts of the body that are different in color. Tricolor individuals are distinguished into a separate group. And the type of coloring "variegated scales" means that in a single scale you can see 2 or more colors. And also the colors "panda" and "little red riding hood" are distinguished. These names eloquently describe the appearance of the fish.

Deciding on the breeds of goldfish for an aquarium is easier than it seems from their variety. If you focus on those species that have the most varied colors, then first you should take a closer look at fan-tails and veil-tails. If you want to stand out as much as possible, it will do tosakin — this species is very rare and is intended for keeping in a pond. "Regular" goldfish are suitable for those who expect to get an easy-to-maintain and outwardly graceful breed. For a detached large aquarium, it is better suited lion head - so its dignity will be maximally emphasized.

Of course, it takes aquarists to like the goldfish. It is inappropriate to be guided only by the opinion of other people. The health of potential pets should be carefully checked.

It is also necessary to check how much you can trust the sellers. It is necessary to study the situation in advance and, starting from the answers to a well-known question, ask it in the store. If they answer evasively, refuse to speak, try to deceive, you cannot buy a goldfish.

Important: Pet shop aquariums must be kept clean and tidy. It is also necessary to know the main signs of sick specimens, such as:

• wrong color;
• too little or too much activity;
• unusual spots;
• sunken belly;
• ulcers and wounds;
• growths where they should not be;
• dull, pale eyes.

For the care of goldfish, see below.