Pearlscale Goldfish | Pearlscale Care

The pearlscale or chinshurin in Japanese is a spherical-bodied fancy goldfish with finnage similar to the fantail. Pearscale or pearlscale Goldfish originated in the early 1900s and it is one of the more recent additions to the fancy goldfish family.

Quick stats of Pearlscale:

• Depth of body to be greater than 2/3 of body length
• Scales to be domed
• Dorsal fin to be single, all other fins to be paired.
• Caudal fin to be divided and forked and held above the horizontal.
• Extremities of fins to have a slightly rounded appearance.
• Minimum length of body to be 5.5 cm (2¼ inches). 

Temperament and care of pearlscale goldfish: Pearlscales are egg shaped with internal organs crowding the creature's compact body, therefore overfeeding should be avoided. Pearlscales are very sensitive to cold water and should not be exposed to temperature readings below 55°F (13°C) and are also quite vulnerable to pH changes and should not be exposed for long periods to a high acidity or alkalinity environment.

Breeding pearlscale goldfish: Due to their delicate scales and the risk of injury during natural spawning, it might be advisable to employ the hand spawning method with pearlscale goldfish.

Choosing pearlscale goldfish: The best pearlscales have a body that is extremely rounded. The body should have a depth of at least 2/3 of its length.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearlscale

http://thegoldfishtank.com/pearlscale-goldfish

Oranda Goldfish | Oranda Goldfish Care

An oranda is a breed of goldfish characterized by a prominent bubbly-like hood encasing its head. The hood or headgrowth (also known as wen) encases the whole head except for the eyes and mouth. It is like a Veiltail Goldfish but with a bit shorter tail, and develops a hood similar to the Lionhead Goldfish! This beautiful gold fish has a large round shape, shimmering scales, and a long flowing split caudal (tail) fin that fans out when it comes to a stop.

When it was first imported from China to Japan it was mistakenly thought to be native to Holland, and was therefore dubbed the "Dutch Ironmask", from which its English name "oranda" derives.

The Oranda Goldfish is one of the most popular goldfish in the world. It is favored for its hood, a fleshy growth on the top of its head called the wen. The oranda can reach 20 to 31 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) in length.  The wen starts to show at about 3 - 4 months, but only really begins to form at about 1 - 2 years. The hood gets fully developed when the fish gets to be about 2-2 1/2 years old.

Orandas are sensitive to low water temperatures and susceptible to the attention of other active goldfish. The Oranda can tolerate temperatures from 17-28°C (65-80+°F). Oranda goldfish are especially sensitive to cold temperatures, more so than other goldfish.  If their wen grows too much, it may hinder vision, so it is advised to keep them with others that have this disability in order to make sure that they do not starve because of the able-sighted competition. Their wen is also susceptible to injury from rough objects placed in their residence.

Lionhead goldfish | the lionhead

The lionhead goldfish is the oldest and arguably the most popular of the dorsal-less goldfish breeds. The fish has a hooded variety of fancy goldfish. It is the oldest of the dorsal-less breeds, originating as an offshoot from the Eggfish.  The Lionhead originated in China around the 1600s.

Bred in China to depict the image of the mythical lion-dog, the lionhead is characterized by the ‘wen’, or head growth, that covers its head. They were introduced to Japan from China during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Japanese produced lionheads with more rounded back profiles, modified tails and diminished size of the head growth.

Lionheads can grow up to 6 inches (15 cm) in length (including finnage) and may have metallic, nacreous or matte scales. They are available in orange, red, white, red-and-white, blue, black, black-and-white, black-and-red, natural, and chocolate coloration.

Lionheads, like all goldfish, are omnivores and will readily accept any plant or animal matter based food. A high protein diet will encourage more vibrant colors and greater hood growth in lionheads.

Breeding lionhead goldfish: Like most other fancy goldfish varieties, Lionheads aren’t exceptionally difficult to breed and can be encouraged to spawn given the right conditions of a healthy diet, adequate tank space and appropriate water temperatures.

Choosing lionhead goldfish: When purchasing lionhead goldfish it’s important to look for fish with a body depth of ½ or more of their body length. The lionhead’s back should be a smooth and shallow arch from head to tail with no ridges or spikes. A lionhead’s hood should be full, dense and symmetrical on all sides.

Fantail Goldfish | All about Fantail Goldfish

The Fantail goldfish is the western form of the Ryukin that possesses an egg-shaped body, a high dorsal fin, a long quadruple caudal fin, and no shoulder hump. It is a beautiful fish, calming to watch and a delight to own. The fantail goldfish originated in the early 1400s, during the Ming Dynasty of China and the ancestor from which all modern fancy goldfish breeds descended.

Fantails come in a variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow and calico varieties.

Here are some basic tips for looking after a Fantail goldfish, especially for those just getting started: 

Breeding fantail goldfish: Fantails are among the easiest of the fancy goldfish varieties to breed and will usually spawn readily given adequate conditions. Good-quality Fantails are produced by rigorous fry selection. 

Choosing fantail goldfish: When choosing fantail goldfish for purchase, it is important to note that the body, which is tear drop or egg shaped, has a depth of at least 3/5 of its length. A shorter body length compared to the depth is always preferred in fantails. Although generally considered a hardy goldfish, Fantails can be sensitive to prolonged exposure to low water temperatures. Keeping Fantails in an aquarium requires an ideal temperature of 73 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit

Comet Goldfish | Comet-tailed Goldfish

The Comet Goldfish is much like the common goldfish, but is a more reddish orange color and has a much longer, deeper forked tail fin! The comet or comet-tailed goldfish is a single-tailed goldfish bred in the United States. The fish is similar to the common goldfish, except slightly smaller and slimmer, and is mainly distinguished by its long deeply forked tail. It is the most graceful of the elongated goldfish, emphasized by their long tail.

This fish was the first variety of the single-tail goldfish to be developed with a long caudal (tail) fin and the comet-tailed goldfish breed was developed in the United States from the common goldfish by Hugo Mulertt, a government worker, in the 1880s. The first comet goldfish was first seen in the ponds of the U.S. Government Fish Commission in Washington, D.C.

These fish can be quite personable and are delightful to watch. One of the hardiest of the gold fish varieties, the Comet Goldfish are recommended for beginners. They are an easy fish to keep as they are not picky and will readily eat what is offered.

The Comet Goldfish is an elongated, flat-bodied variety of goldfish. The head is wide but short and it has a smoothly tapering body shape, from its back and belly to the base of its caudal fin (tail fin). The caudal fin is long, deeply forked and generally stands fully erect. 

The Comet Goldfish is primarily a reddish orange color, but they are also available in yellow, orange, white, and red.  Comets with yellow, orange, red, white, and red-and-white coloration are common. The red coloration mainly appears on the tailfin and dorsal fin, but can also appear on the pelvic fin.

Since they are omnivorous, the Comet Goldfish will generally eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods. To keep a good balance gives them a high quality flake food everyday.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/goldfish/CometGoldfish.php

Celestial eye goldfish

Celestial eye goldfish is a double-tailed breed of fancy goldfish that has a breed-defining pair of telescope eyes which are turned upwards, pupils gazing skyward. The fish has an elongated egg-shaped body similar to the Bubble Eye. Celestial eye goldfish is also known as Stargazer Goldfish, Celestial Goldfish, Deme-Ranchu, Choten gan etc.

When the fry hatch, the eyes of young Celestials are normal but gradually protrude sideways, as in the Telescope eye goldfish, and then turn upwards within a period of six months.

With eyes that are permanently looking skyward, the Celestial Eye Goldfish is known by the Chinese as the Stargazer!

The body is short and stubby and they have a double caudal (tail) fin and a double anal fin. Their most distinctive feature is the eyes which extend out from the sides of the head and are locked into a permanent upward looking position. In juveniles the eye are normal, but within a short time the eyes begin to protrude and then the upturned vision develop and becomes locked in. They are most commonly seen with metallic scales colored shades of orange (called 'red' by fanciers), white, or red and white. Celestials with nacreous scales are known but rarely seen.

Since they are omnivorous, the Celestial Eye Goldfish will generally eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_Eye

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/goldfish/CelestialEyeGoldfish.php