GOLDFISH AND THEIR CULTURE IN JAPAN. 
a 
By SHINNOSUKE MATSUBARA, 
Director of the Imperial Fisheries Institute, Tokyo. 
a 
JAPANESE VARIETIES OF GOLDFISH. 4 
That the goldfish of Japan was originally introduced from China there is no 
doubt, but a long domestication of the fish has resulted in producing several 
Japanese varieties. The four known from remote times are as follows: 
“Wakin” (Japanese goldfish).—This variety bears a close resemblance to 
the original Carassius auratus from which it came. Its body is slender and 
long, and the black pigment gives it when very young a color like that of steel, 
which gradually changes into vermilion red, often variegated with white. The 
caudal fin is either simply forked or split into three or four lobes. (Pl. xvm1.) 
‘“Ryukin’’ (Loochoo goldfish).—This variety has a short rounded body 
with a protuberant or swelled-out abdomen. The caudal fin, pendulous when 
at rest and flowing when in motion, is as long as the body or sometimes still 
longer, all the other fins being also long. (Pl. xrx.) 
“ Ranchu,”’ otherwise called ‘“‘Maruko” (round fish).—The body of this 
variety is short and rounded, its tail and broad head being also short. It has 
no dorsal fin. The head, which is free from any abnormal features when the 
fish is quite young, in two or three years develops all over it a number of pro- 
tuberances, like the achenia of a strawberry. In this state it is called ‘“‘shishi- 
gashira (lion-headed) ranchu.’’ Owing to the fact that this variety has a 
globular body, a short protuberant abdomen, and a short caudal fin, it can hardly 
swim, and is usually seen in an erect position with the head downward, which may 
be accounted for by the absence of the dorsal fin. (PI. xx.) 
“Oranda shishigashiva”’ (rare lion-headed).—This resembles the ranchu in 
its bodily form with strawberry-like protuberances on the head. The body is 
big and longer than that of the ryukin and furnished with the dorsal fin; 
the caudal fin is long. (PI. xxi.) 
Among the older varieties are also the following: 
“Demekin”’ (goldfish with protruding eyes) and ‘‘deme ranchu’’ (ranchu 
@ The ten colored plates accompanying this paper have been made from water-color drawings from 
life by J. Urata, and have been copyrighted by the author. 
383 
