Considered the earliest species of fish to be domesticated, goldfish are members of the carp family. They have been favorite pets for every nationality, especially the Chinese, for many years. As people learned to manipulate the breeding to create new and exotic varieties of goldfish, the care people took of these animals increased.Common goldfish, mindless of its name, is a beautiful and tough fish with its golden orange colored scales. They can live in places where most of the other goldfish wouldn’t thrive for long periods of time. They are also not as common as the name implies. It is from this type of goldfish that most of the other varieties were derived from.
Selective breeding of goldfish paved way for the existence of color variations and body types. Currently, there are two body types a goldfish might possess: a flat body, or an egg-shaped body. Goldfish with flat bodies are considered very good swimmers, because their bodies are streamlined. They make good pets because they are easy to take care of, since they easily compete for food using their hard bodies. Common flat body goldfish varieties are Comet, Shubunkin, Wakin and Jikin.
On the other hand, goldfish with egg-shaped bodies are exactly the opposite of the flat bodied types. They lack dorsal fins, which help them to swim properly, and they are not that competitive in the hunt for food. Ranchu and Lionhead are just some of the goldfish varieties that belong to this group.
• Length 10 inches (25 centimeters)
• Original goldfish are orange red with no spots on the body.
• They will lay thousands of eggs during the breeding season.
• Identification of gender males grows white bumps on lids, gills and head during breeding (this is not a disease).
• They are very friendly and swim all over the aquarium.
• They love to eat goldfish eggs, so you should keep them away from the eggs.
• Lifespan 15 to 25 years
• Length 6 inches (15 centimeters)
• This kind is the most recent development of the Chinese goldfish breeders.
• Their eyes are turned up, and they have no fins on the top.
• Identification of gender males grows white bumps on lids, gills and head during breeding (this is not a disease).
• Because they are gentle, it is better to raise them alone.
• They love to eat goldfish eggs, so you should keep them away from the eggs.
• Lifespan 6 to 7 years
• Length 6 inches (15 centimeters)
• Identification of gender – males grows white bumps on lids, gills and head during breeding (this is not a disease).
• Very sociable and will live in peace with all the other goldfish.
• The eyes of this goldfish resemble a telescope, hence the name of this variety.
• Length of life between 15 to 25 years
This is the oldest of all breeds. They can be identified through their overdeveloped head growth and big fat belly. Unfortunately, this goldfish can encounter sight problems, especially when their head growths begin to cover their eyes.
• Length 6 inches (15 centimeters)
• Identification of gender – males grow white bump on lids, gills and head during breeding (this is not a disease).
• This goldfish breed has no dorsal fin, and the tail fin is short and tight, for this reason it swims relatively slowly.
• Sociable and lives in peace with all the other goldfish.
• Length of life between 8 to 15 years.
• Length 8 inches (20 centimeters).
• Has a spectacular large fin, and a red cap.
• Identification of gender – males grow white bump on lids, gills and head during breeding (this is not a disease).
• Length of life between 15 to 25 years.
• Sociable and lives in peace with all the other goldfish.
• Length 10 inches (25 centimeters.)
• This species has a large head relative to its body.
• Identification of gender – males grow white bump on lids, gills and head during breeding (this is not a disease).
• Length of life between 15 to 25 years.
• Sociable and lives in peace with all the other goldfish.
• Length 6 inches (15 inches).
• Other fish can harm the eyes of this goldfish breed.
• Identification of gender – males grow white bump on lids, gills and head during breeding (this is not a disease).
• Sociable and lives in peace with all the other goldfish.
• They love to eat goldfish eggs, so you should keep them away from the eggs.
Comet goldfish are fast swimmers, which a great reason why they should not be kept in fish bowls. Instead, comet goldfish belong in large aquariums. The reason that they swim well is that they have long, slender bodies and long tail fins.
Shubunkin goldfish are characterized by their unique opalescent scales, which resemble the scales of the comet fish. They only have one tail fin and have the tendency to grow very large, which why it is advisable to raise them in large aquariums.
Ranchu goldfish, which is a large, round bodied goldfish with a curved back, possess short fins and pinched tail fins that enable this variety to swim properly, unlike those egg-shaped goldfish that have only one tail fin. Despite that, Ranchu goldfish still swim gracefully, and sometimes they are referred to as “buffalo head” goldfish, because of their appearance.