Ranchu Goldfish

Origin

The modern-day ranchu is a Japanese development of the lionhead.They are the direct outcome of crossbreeding experiments of different Chinese lionhead specimens.

Description

The ranchu is a hooded variety of fancy goldfish developed in Japan. It is referred to as the "king of goldfish" by the Japanese. Compared to lionheads, ranchus have a more downturned tail and tail fin. Although similar to lionheads, ranchus have more-arched backs and have much shorter tails that are tucked-in at a sharp angle. A ranchu has an egg-shaped body with a deep belly that is between 5/8 to 3/4 the length of the fish. The most prominent feature of the ranchu is its head. Mature ranchus can reach between 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters) in length. Ranchus may come in orange, red, white, red-and-white, blue, black, black-and-white, black-and-red, natural, and chocolate coloration. Scalation may either be metallic, nacreous (calico) or matte. Ranchus with a pale-yellow bodies and bright red heads are rare.