Gold Fish
Gold Fish 
Gold Fish has more varieties than any other aquarium fish. The intense interest that the Chinese and Japanese have shown, in domesticating the goldfish goes back possibly 1350 years to the T’ang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) in China. Since then many new forms have been developed. Sometimes colour varieties of goldfish are referred to as without scales. This is an erroneous reference, as all goldfish have scales. There may have been some confusion with the “mirror carp”, which does lack some of its scales. The large scales on the goldfish may be pigmented or unpigmented; it is these unpigmented varieties, which give the “scaleless” appearance. Aquarists have shifted from the term “scaleless” to “calico”, to define those goldfish lacking black pigment in their scales. All the shubunkins are calico, while the moors are scaled. The other varieties appear as either calico or scaled. Color varieties of goldfish are caused by the varying amounts and arrangement of the pigment cells in the skin.
Range: Temperate Asia; introduced into all temperate parts of the world.
Size: 30 cm, breeds at about 8 cm.
Temperament: This species is suitable in the community tank.
Temperature requirements:Optimum range from 13-18ºC. Goldfish will tolerate any temperature from 4-26ºC however.
Sex difference: The fullness of a ripe female indicates her sex. Mature males will show small white tubercles on the gill plates and along the first ray of the pectoral fin when in breeding condition.
Gold Fish