03/06/2014
Varieties of domesticated goldfish
Selective breeding over centuries has produced several color variations, some of them far removed from the "golden" color of the originally domesticated fish. There are also different body shapes, fin and eye configurations. Some extreme versions of the goldfish live only in aquariums—they are much less hardy than varieties closer to the "wild" original. However, some variations are hardier, such as the Shubunkin. Currently, there are about 300 breeds recognized in China.[4] The vast majority of goldfish breeds today originated from China.[4] Some of the main varieties are:
Common goldfish Black Moor Bubble Eye
Common goldfish differ only in color from their closest relative, the Prussian carp. Common goldfish come in a variety of colors including red, orange/gold, white, black and yellow or 'lemon' goldfish. Common goldfish.JPG The Black moor is a telescope-eyed variety of fancy goldfish that has a characteristic pair of protruding eyes. It is also referred to as popeye, telescope, kuro demekin in Japan and dragon-eye in China. Carassius auratus Black Moor-edit1.jpg The small, fancy Bubble Eye has upward pointing eyes accompanied by two large fluid-filled sacs. Bubble Eye goldfish.jpg
Celestial Eye Comet (goldfish) Fantail (goldfish)
Fancy Celestial eye goldfish or Choten gan has a double tail and a breed-defining pair of upturned, telescope eyes with pupils gazing skyward. Celestial eye goldfish.jpg The comet or comet-tailed goldfish is the most common fancy variety in the United States. It is similar to the common goldfish, except slightly smaller and slimmer, and is mainly distinguished by its long, deeply forked tail. Sarasa comet goldfish.jpg The Fantail goldfish is the western form of the Ryukin and possesses an egg-shaped body, a high dorsal fin, a long quadruple caudal fin, and no shoulder hump. Fan tailed goldfish.jpg
Lionhead (goldfish) Oranda Pearlscale
The fancy lionhead has a hood. This fish is the precursor to the ranchu. LionheadGoldfishSideviewRodsan18b.jpg The fancy oranda is characterized by a prominent raspberry-like hood or (also known as wen or headgrowth) that encases the whole head except for the eyes and mouth. OrangeOranda.jpg The fancy pearlscale or chinshurin in Japanese, is spherical-bodied with finnage similar to the fantail. Goldfish Pearl Scale.jpg
Pompom (goldfish) Ryukin Shubunkin
The fancy Pompoms or pompon or hana fusa have bundles of loose fleshy outgrowths between the nostrils, on each side of the head. 'Billy' a Chocolate Pom Pom Oranda.jpg The fancy ryukin has a short, deep body with a characteristic shoulder hump. Goldfish Ryukin.jpg Fancy and hardy Japanese Shubunkins (朱文金?) (translated literally as "red brocade") have a single tail with nacreous scales, and a pattern known as calico. Clear shubunkin.jpg
Telescope eye Ranchu Panda Moor
The fancy telescope eye or demekin is characterized by its protruding eyes. It is also known as globe eye or dragon eye goldfish. GoldfishDroganeys.jpg The fancy Japanese ranchu is hooded. The Japanese refer to it as the "king of goldfish". Goldfish Ranchu 2.jpg The fancy panda moor has a characteristic black-and-white color pattern and protruding eyes. Pandamoor.jpg
Veiltail Butterfly tail (goldfish) Meteor goldfish
The fancy veiltail is known for its extra-long, flowing double tail. Modern veiltail standards require little or no indentation of the trailing edges of the caudal fins, as in a wedding veil for a bride. Welon (ryba).JPG The Butterfly Tail Moor or Butterfly Telescope is of the telescope-eye lineage, with twin tails best viewed from above. The spread of the caudal fins mimics butterflies underwater. Calico-butterfly-tail-demekin.png The Meteor goldfish is a strange-looking variety that has been developed by specialist breeders of fancy goldfish. It has no tail fin, hence its name.[17][18]
Lionchu Egg-fish goldfish Shukin
The Lionchu or lionhead-ranchu is a fancy goldfish that has resulted from crossbreeding lionheads and ranchus.[19][20] Goldfish Lionchu first orize winner.jpg The egg-fish goldfish is an artificial creation of specialist fancy goldfish breeders which lacks a dorsal fin and has a pronounced egg-shaped body.[21][22] Eggfish.jpg The Shukin is Ranchu-like goldfish developed from Ranchu and Oranda at the end of the 19th century in Japan.
Curled-gill goldfish Tamasaba Tosakin
The Curled-gill or Reversed-gill goldfish is another uncommon variety of fancy goldfish that has been developed by specialist enthusiasts. It owes its name to the out-turned appearance of its gill covers.[18][23] Curled gill goldfish.jpg The Tamasaba or Sabao is an uncommon Japanese variety of goldfish with a body shaped similar to the Ryukin and a very long, flowing, single tail that is similar to that of a mackerel, hence its other name, Mackerel Tail. The Tosakin or curly fantail goldfish is a very distinctive breed of goldfish with a large tail fin that spreads out horizontally (like a fan) behind the fish. Though technically a divided tail, the two halves are attached at the center/middle forming a single fin. Tosakin.JPG
Chinese goldfish classification
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Chinese tradition classifies goldfish into four main types. These classifications are not commonly used in the West.
Ce (may also be called "grass")—Goldfish without fancy anatomical features. These include the common goldfish, comet goldfish and Shubunkin.
Wen—Goldfish have a fancy tail, e.g., Fantails and Veiltails ("Wen" is also the name of the characteristic headgrowth on such strains as Oranda and Lionhead)
Dragon Eye—Goldfish have extended eyes, e.g., Black Moor, Bubble Eye, and Telescope Eye
Egg—Goldfish have no dorsal fin, and usually have an 'egg-shaped' body, e.g., Lionhead (note that a Bubble Eye without a dorsal fin belongs to this group)
Reproduction
Goldfish may only grow to sexual maturity with enough water and the right nutrition. Most goldfish breed in captivity, particularly in pond settings. Breeding usually happens after a significant temperature change, often in spring. Males chase gravid female goldfish (females carrying eggs), and prompt them to release their eggs by bumping and nudging them.
Goldfish, like all cyprinids, are egg-layers. Their eggs are adhesive and attach to aquatic vegetation, typically dense plants such as Cabomba or Elodea or a spawning mop. The eggs hatch within 48 to 72 hours.
Within a week or so, the fry begins to assume its final shape, although a year may pass before they develop a mature goldfish color; until then they are a metallic brown like their wild ancestors. In their first weeks of life, the fry grow quickly—an adaptation born of the high risk of getting devoured by the adult goldfish (or other fish and insects) in their environment.[24]
Some highly bred goldfish can no longer breed naturally due to their altered shape. The artificial breeding method called "hand stripping" can assist nature, but can harm the fish if not done correctly. In captivity, adults may also eat young that they encounter.
Goldfish eggs showing cell division
Goldfish fry just hatched (Ryukin)
Behavior and Intelligence
Behavior
Behavior can vary widely both because goldfish live in a variety of environments, and because their behavior can be conditioned by their owners.
Goldfish have strong associative learning abilities, as well as social learning skills. In addition, their visual acuity allows them to distinguish between individual humans. Owners may notice that fish react favorably to them (swimming to the front of the glass, swimming rapidly around the tank, and going to the surface mouthing for food) while hiding when other people approach the tank. Over time, goldfish learn to associate their owners and other humans with food, often "begging" for food whenever their owners approach.[citation needed]
Goldfish are gregarious, displaying schooling behavior, as well as displaying the same types of feeding behaviors. Goldfish may display similar behaviors when responding to their reflections in a mirror.[citation needed]
Goldfish that have constant visual contact with humans also stop considering them to be a threat. After being kept in a tank for several weeks, sometimes months, it becomes possible to feed a goldfish by hand without it shying away.
Goldfish have learned behaviors, both as groups and as individuals, that stem from native carp behavior. They are a generalist species with varied feeding, breeding, and predator avoidance behaviors that contribute to their success. As fish they can be described as "friendly" towards each other. Very rarely does a goldfish harm another goldfish, nor do the males harm the females during breeding. The only real threat that goldfish present to each other is competing for food. Commons, comets, and other faster varieties can easily eat all the food during a feeding before fancy varieties can reach it. This can lead to stunted growth or possible starvation of fancier varieties when they are kept in a pond with their single-tailed brethren. As a result, care should be taken to combine only breeds with similar body type and swim characteristics.
Intelligence
Goldfish have a memory-span of at least three months and can distinguish between different shapes, colors and sounds.[25][26] By using positive reinforcement, goldfish can be trained to recognize and to react to light signals of different colors[27] or to perform tricks.[28] Fish respond to certain colors most evidently in relation to feeding.[citation needed] Fish learn to anticipate feedings provided they occur at around the same time every day.
