
GOLDFISH BREEDS 

sometimes occur with the common goldfish, probably due to an admixture 
of an oriental strain or a variation in or from the parental type, to which 
this fish is particularly liable. 
The desirable characteristics of the common goldfish are perfection 
of form, head and eye; fine, clean even and symmetrical fin development; 
evenly imbricated and uninjured scales; a clean and healthy general appear- 
ance, with distinct and brilliant colors. 
Perfect development of the finely bred varieties are hereafter described; 
but the more general imperfections in these fishes consist of slight mal- 
formations of body and fins, and too great length of body in the short- 
bodied breeds or too short-bodies in those which should be long and 
slender. Some imperfect fishes of the double-tailed breeds have the upper 
lobe of the tail single and the lower lobe double. These are known as 
“ Tripod-Tails”. Others have the otherwise double tail joined at the 
top or margin and are known as ““Web-tails”, while when the double tail 1s 
joined at the centre and flattened ona horizontal plane, they are known 
as “Dolphin-tails”. Another frequent imperfection of some breeds isa 
single instead of a double anal fin or the anal fin may be entirely absent. 
Some have the main ray of the dorsal fin crooked, due to the “ hinge” 
or interspinous bone of the first ray being above the surface of the back, 
which prevents the fish carrying the dorsal fin erect, or the dorsal fin 
may be too short and consist of but three to six rays. 
By careful breeding more or less fixed varieties may be produced, but 
none of these forms are permanent, as the goldfish is naturally inclined to 
variations under domestication or will revert to the original stock except 
under most careful breeding and selection, and what may be considered 
imperfections in some breeds are desired characteristics in others, as will 
be seen in the descriptions of the oriental goldfishes hereafter given. 
Except only the Comet, the finer breeds should have very short heads, 
short bodies, evenly rounded backs, long pendant fins, small scales and 
large eyes. 
THE JAPANESE AND CHINESE GOLDFISHES 
The culture of the finely bred goldfishes has been conducted in the 
warmer parts of Japan and in China for centuries, all the varieties now 
known in the United States having been derived from these sources. 
The original parent stock was a Cyprinoid similar to the Crucian carp, 
with which albindism is of frequent occurrence, the colors of albinoid fishes 
of every species being bright orange and golden hues with occasionally 
white or uncolored individuals. By careful selection these colors were 
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