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Goldfish: by Dick Mills

The common goldfish is one of the most beautiful freshwater fish. It comes in various colors like red, yellow, and silver. Though hardy, the common goldfish is best for beginners due to selective breeding weakening some fancy varieties. Common goldfish can be kept with comets, London shubunkins, and fantails under 12 cm in an aquarium, but need a pond if larger. They can live up to 25 years. Popular varieties include the long-tailed comet, fantail with double tail fins, veiltail with long flowing fins, and colorful shubunkin.

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66 views7 pages

Goldfish: by Dick Mills

The common goldfish is one of the most beautiful freshwater fish. It comes in various colors like red, yellow, and silver. Though hardy, the common goldfish is best for beginners due to selective breeding weakening some fancy varieties. Common goldfish can be kept with comets, London shubunkins, and fantails under 12 cm in an aquarium, but need a pond if larger. They can live up to 25 years. Popular varieties include the long-tailed comet, fantail with double tail fins, veiltail with long flowing fins, and colorful shubunkin.

Uploaded by

Tanzila Aftab
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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GOLDFISH

By Dick Mills
THE COMMON GOLDFISH

The common goldfish is one of the most beautiful of The strong red-gold colour is always
associated with the name, but many specimens are yellow-gold, and others show patches
of silver or black.
For the novice fish keeper, the common goldfish is the most suitable choice. The fancy
varieties have, in some respects, been weakened by selective breeding which concentrates
on certain characteristics of form and colour; the common goldfish retains the basic
hardiness of the species.
The common goldfish are suitable for keeping in an aquarium, together with similarity
sized fish of the Comet, London Shubunkin and visibly scaled fantail varieties. If goldfish
measure over 12 centimeters, they need the freedom of a pond. Goldfish are hardy
enough to tolerate the conditions in a pond all year round except in extreme climates.
In five years, the common goldfish may reach a length of 20 centimeters, in favourable
conditions some can grow to 40 centimeters and live to 25 years.
GOLDFISH VARIETIES

The Comet
The Fantail
The Veiltail
The Shubunkin
THE COMET

General: The comet was bred in the United States at the


turn of the century and is both beautiful and
very hardy.
Body: Typically goldfish- shaped, but more streamlined.
Fins: The tail fin is the striking characteristic, being
as long as , and sometimes longer than, the body.
Scales: Usually metallic, though occasionally semi-metallic
ones can be seen.
Colour: Red, orange, silver( white), yellow and combinations
of these.
THE FANTAIL

General: One of the older fancy varieties and quite hardy, though the semi-
metallic specimens are considered less hardy than the metallic ones.
Body: Plump, almost egg-shaped; also in telescope-eyed form.
Fins: The tail fin is double and slightly forked. It has a high dorsal fin, and
double anal fins and pectoral fins, large and pointed pelvic fins.
Scales: Usually metallic, though semi-metallic ones can also be found.
Colour: Orange, red, yellow and black in varying combinations.
THE VEILTAIL

General: Considered by many hobbyists to be the most beautiful goldfish,


the Veiltail was bred from a Japanese mutation of the Fantail. Veiltails are
not actually delicate, but are certainly not hardy, therefore take care when
keeping them. Allow extra space for those sail-like fins. Dirty water may
well cause them to loose colour somewhat. They can be rather expensive.
Body: Spherical; there is also a telescope-eyed form.
Fins: the tail fin is double, not forked, each fin being as long as or longer
than the body, and hanging at an angle of about 45 o from it. It has a high
dorsal fin and paired anal fins, which are usually partially hidden by tail
fins. All finnage should appear silky and sail-like but not floppy.
Scales: Metallic, matt and semi-metallic.
Colour: Red, orange, blue, black, yellow, and silver in various
combinations.
THE SHUBUNKIN

General: The Shubunkin was originally bred in Japan early in the 20 th


century. Though a hardy fish, immature Shubunkins under six months old
cannot tolerate low temperatures. This is an active fish which needs space.
Body: Typical goldfish shape.
Fins: The dorsal fin is high and pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are more
well-shaped and developed.
Scales: Matt.
Colour: This is the feature of this fish. Over a basic blue background are
blotches of red, gold, brown and black. These may merge to appear orange,
mauve and yellow.

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