If you’ve ever received a goldfish as a prize in a carnival, it was likely a comet.Ĭompared to common goldfish, comets may have a more lithe or graceful appearance due to their slimmer bodies and deeply forked tails. Because of its reputation for being hardy and cheap, this variety may also be used as bait by anglers. It is now found all across the globe as it is frequently cultivated in many types of fish farms. Kurayba / CC BY-SA 2.0ĭeveloped in the US in the late 1800s, the comet goldfish was created and introduced into the aquarium industry by Hugo Mulertt. White, red, yellow, black, olive green, and patterned combinations of these colors may also be present in varying intensities.Ģ) Comet goldfish Comet goldfish look similar to common goldfish but can be recognized by their slimmer bodies and deeply forked tails. The most popular types are, of course, the bright orange varieties. These fish look much like miniature versions of common carp, except they tend to come in more vibrant colors.

Most types of fancy goldfish have been produced by artificially selecting specific traits of common goldfish. Though it is often advertised as the type of fish that can live in a 1-gallon fishbowl, its survival rates are usually increased in larger setups. As long as it is provided with filtered water, with pH levels ranging from 6 to 8, in a standard-sized aquarium, it should happily go about its day. It is the perfect fish for beginners as it is fairly low-maintenance and can persist in a wide range of water conditions. לינה אבוגוש, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsĪlso called feeder goldfish, this single-tailed variety is undoubtedly the hardiest of its kind. Single & Double-Tailed Goldfish Breeds 1) Common goldfish The common goldfish is a beginner-friendly, low-maintenance fish that can survive in a wide range of water conditions. Fancy ones, which are produced by highly specialized breeders, come with a wide assortment of complex fin structures, eye morphologies, and pigmentation patterns. These ones are the most anatomically similar to wild carp. Common varieties tend to be remarkably hardy. The Chinese classify current goldfish breeds according to the robustness of their anatomical features, whereas Western breeders may simply group them into single-tailed or fancy types. The very first goldfish, which was likely the close descendant of a wild-caught Carassius auratus, may have looked totally different from the types we know and love today. A delicate balance lies between maintaining the fish’s hardiness and creating eye-catching traits.Ĭollectors far and wide fawn over the physical differences between each breed as they can be as subtle as the angle of a fin or as obvious as an enormous pair of eye sacs. Creating new varieties with attractive coloration and unique features is truly a craft. Native to East Asia, they’ve been the focus of commercial breeding and ornamental fish hybridization for centuries.

Perhaps the most popular type of fish due to the aquarium trade, goldfish have been gracing fish bowls and tanks for what seems like forever. 1.2.16 16) Eggfish Goldfish are an extremely popular aquarium fish and there are many fascinating varieties to choose from! Photo from

Black and white telescope goldfish