Goldfish

COMMON NAME: Goldfish.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Carassius auratus auratus(usually shortened to Carassius auratus).

DESIGNATION: Coldwater.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Originally native to China and certain parts of Siberiabut introduced into numerous natural andartificial bodies of water worldwide.

SIZE: It is impossible to give a single accuratefigure for Goldfish. Slim-bodied varieties,such as the Common Goldfish, London andBristol Shubunkins and Comets, can grow toover 12 in (30 cm). Fancier, round-bodiedvarieties generally grow to less than half thissize. Having said this, though, I have seenOrandas measuring 14 in (c. 35 cm) in theFar East.

WATER PREFERENCES: Will tolerate a widerange of water conditions and temperatures.Prolonged exposure to high temperatures, e.g.
(82°F) and above, will cause distress.

DIET: Will eat a wide range of animal and plant-based foods. Will benefit from a diet
is relatively rich in carbohydrates, such as flake or pellet food specifically manufactured for this species.

BREEDING: Males develop white pimple-like growths, known as nuptial tubercles, on their gill covers and the first ray of the pectoral fin during the breeding season which starts inthe :irmig amd can extend into late summer.In slim-bodied varieties, females become noticeably plumper during this time - this is not easily detectable in round-bodiedvarieties.

A period of relatively cool temperature inearly spring, followed by a gentle rise(possibly by means of an aquarium heater) ofa few degrees is often sufficient to bring well-fed fish into breeding condition.

Prior separation of the spawning pair mayalso improve the chances of success.
A spacious tank (approximately 20 gallons/90 litres or over) should be provided for thepair. Several clumps of fine-leaved vegetationshould also be introduced as a spawningmedium. Alternatively, spawning mops canbe bought for this purpose.
After an initial period of intense activityduring which the male chases the female (butwhich develops into a situation where it isdifficult to say whether the female is beingchased or the male is being led!), the pair willend up among the vegetation.
Eggs will be scattered and fertilised in aseries of spawning 'encounters'. When thesehave been completed, either the pair or theeggs should be removed. Hatching takesabout six days at cool temperatures (below20°C/c. 68°F) but may take as little as fourdays at 21°C/c. 70°F.

After a few days, the fry will have absorbedtheir yolk sacs and will become free-swimming. From then on the fry will requireregular feeding.

DESCRIPTION: The Goldfish hasbeen regarded as a 'cultivated' fish for around1,000 years. Careful selection, highlyorganised line-breeding programmes andstringently controlled refinements haveresulted in numerous varieties during thisperiod.

Many years of painstaking work can beeasily undone by the unthinking breeder whomixes varieties and/or fish of varying quality.Although there is no universal agreementas to what constitutes a perfect specimen of aPearlscale, Shubunkin, Comet, or the rest,guidelines do exist. These are known as'standards' and are published by the variousGoldfish societies which have becomeestablished throughout the world over theyears.

Societies may (and do) differ in theiropinions as to what constitutes an idealstandard for a particular variety but theirstrict criteria do bring considerable order to apotentially chaotic state of affairs and givethe hobbyist targets to aim at.
All societies agree that Goldfish can bedivided into two groups: single-tailedvarieties and twin-tailed varieties(alternatively known as Singletails andTwintails). Despite the differences referred toabove, there is also general agreementconcerning the overall identification of themain varieties.

Therefore, for example, there is universalagreement that a London Shubunkin is a single-tailed, short-finned Goldfish with Bristol Shubunkin mottled coloration which should include adegree of blue. A Bristol Shubunkin issimilar but has longer fins, particularly thecaudal r tail:.

A Comet has an even longer caudal finthan the Shubunkin. It is pointed androughly as long as the body itself. A Fantailis a relatively short-finned, double-tailedvariety with an oval body. A Veiltail is,irnilar to the Fantail but has long, flowing fins.

An Oranda has long, flowing fins as wellbut, in addition, carries a raspberry-likegrowth on the head, called a hood. A Moor isyet another long-finned, double-tailed fish butthis time, there is no hood. Instead, the eyesprotrude from the head and the overall colouris black. Pearlscales are oval-bodied, short-finned and double-tailed, and possess domedor convex scales which give the impressionthat the body is covered in pearls.
Lionheads have a similarly shaped body,but no pearls or dorsal fin. In addition, thehead has a hood similar to that found inOrandas. A Ranchu is similar to a Lionheadbut has a highly curved back, particularlyaround the peduncle (the posterior end of thebody which supports the caudal fin).Celestials have similar body characteristics to Lionheads but have no hoodand, as their name suggests, have upward-looking eyes. The Bubble-eye takes thisdevelopment further and has large, fluid-filled sacs which protrude from the eye socket.The Pompon is yet another oval, (usually)dorsal-less, twin-tailed fish. This time,though, the eyes are normal but the nostrils(nasal septa) are highly developed into twovery characteristic, round pompons.

Body and fin characteristics can occur incombination with a range of colours whichare generally grouped as follows:

Metallic These fish contain a considerableamount of the pigment guanine which givesthe body reflective (metallic) qualities.

Matt Lack of reflective components give suchcoloured fish a non-shiny appearance.Nacreous These fish have an overall`mother-of-pearl' shine.