common, comet, shubukin…) or fancy (lionhead, ranchu, oranda, ryukin, pompom, pearlscale, blackmoor, celestial eye…). Generally, goldfish breeds are classified into 2 main types: slim-bodied (elongated shape, e.g.normal, lion head, pompom, etc.) eye shape (normal, telescope, celestial, etc.), body shape, fin type (caudal and dorsal) and absence or presence of dorsal fin, scaly characteristics (pearl, metallic effect…) and adult size. The criteria that distinguish the numerous varieties of goldfish are: head characteristics (e.There is an impressive number of goldfish varieties, with may different colors, some of them looking quite bizarre : lionhead (protuberances on the top of the head), telescope (protuding eyes), shubunkin (very elongated dorsal and caudal fins), etc.It is through human action, and through a long evolution, that goldfish have become what they are now. The Asian carp, which has a dull color, is the common ancestor of all goldfish varieties.Goldfish arrived in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Goldfish ( Carassius auratus) come from Asia (China, then Japan), where they have been bred and selected for over a 1000 years.A shubunkin goldfish is considered an adult at 2 to 3 years of age, even though they live much longer. Shubunkins are excellent pond fish because they reach a length of 9 to 16 inches (22.86 to 40.6 centimeters) at adulthood. It may take several months for the nacreous coloration to develop on a young fry (baby fish).
Sometimes good blues may be obtained by breeding bronze (metallic) with pink (matt) goldfish, but a grey slate colour may result instead. The best blues are produced from line breeding of good blue specimens of shubunkins. Calicos originally denoted three colours varieties of goldfish that do not include blue. Blue is the most prized colour in shubunkins. The overlapping patches of red, white, blue, grey and black (along with dark speckles) normally extend to the finnage of shubunkins. However, the shubunkins are calico goldfish they possess nacreous scales (a mix of metallic and transparent scales that are pearly in appearance). They have streamlined bodies with well-developed and even fins. They were first bred from mutations in telescope eye goldfish (Demekins) back in 1900 in Japan. The shubunkin, are similar to the common goldfish and comet goldfish in appearance. Ranchus are well-adapted to water quality and pH fluctuations. Ranchus with a pale-yellow bodies and bright red heads are rare. Scalation may either be metallic, nacreous (calico) or matte.
Ranchus may come in orange, red, white, red-and-white, blue, black, black-and-white, black-and-red, natural, and chocolate coloration. Mature ranchus can reach between 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters) in length. Young ranchus possessing broad foreheads and square noses generally produce better headgrowths.
The headgrowths of young ranchu fry may take at least a year to develop. The headgrowth should seem to begin from the bottom of the gill cover and move upward. The gill cover should figuratively extend quite far towards the tail. There must be sufficient space between the eyes, and also from the eyes to the front of the head. The most prominent feature of the ranchu is its head. Furthermore, the tail lobes are rounded, and all other finnage are paired. The ranchu's tail meets the caudal peduncle at a forty-five degree angle, giving the fish a unique swimming motion. The caudal peduncle itself should be broad and neither lengthy or too short (a properly formed caudal peduncle avoids swimming motion impairments to this type of goldfish). The area of the caudal peduncle should curve sharply downwards to meet the tail. The back should be rounded and not flat, as in the case of lionheads. This goldfish does not have a dorsal fin and breeding standards require that the back should not have any vestiges of the dorsal fin on it. Although similar to lionheads, ranchus have more-arched backs and have much shorter tails that are tucked-in at a sharp angle.Ī ranchu has an egg-shaped body with a deep belly that is between 5/8 to 3/4 the length of the fish.
Compared to lionheads, ranchus have a more downturned tail and tail fin. The ranchu is a highly regarded fancy goldfish in Japan.