32 Popular Types of Goldfish

When it comes to raising fish, there is probably no species that offers more options in terms of colors, patterns, body shape, and fin arrangement than goldfish. Did you know that they were one of the first species to be domesticated and selectively bred? There are more than 200 types of goldfish in the world!

If you have only seen a tank of feeder fish or some of the rare varieties of goldfish, you may be surprised to find out just how diverse this species really is. Let me introduce you to this large and fascinating family of fish and help you identify the best types for your goldfish aquarium or pond !

INTRODUCTION TO HEARTY AND FANCY GOLDFISH STRAINS

There are several ways to identify simple and elegant goldfish (Carassius auratus) based on their body shape, color pigments and patterns, their type of scales, and other unique traits such as head and tail morphology. Goldfish are most commonly grouped into breeds or varieties, but these categories are pretty loose and fluid.

A fish’s name is a great clue to its appearance and can give you clues to finding the best types of goldfish for outdoor aquariums or ponds. Some breeds are known for being particularly vigorous and long-lived, while others are delicate and need more intensive care.

Common name (species)	Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
Family	Cyprinids
Temper	Peaceful, social and curious
level of care	Varies by breed.
Diet	Omnivore; The ideal diet varies by breed.
Average size	8 to 12 inches from snout to tail at maturity
Hardness of water	Works well with soft or hard water
pH range	6.0 to 8.0
Water stream	They do not like swift water currents and these strong currents can harm the delicate graceful breeds. They prefer well-oxygenated water, but can survive in stagnant conditions as long as the water is clean.
Water quality and filtration	Goldfish are very sensitive to ammonia and need very clean water to thrive. Because they are such voracious eaters, they produce a large amount of biological waste. 3-stage low-flow filtration with weekly water changes is ideal

BREEDS OF COLORFISH: A DETAILED GUIDE TO 32 POPULAR TYPES

It’s time to talk about the most popular breeds of goldfish and how they differ in their appearance and care requirements. Narrowing down your list to find the best goldfish breed depends on whether you’re stocking a pond or an aquarium, but from there the options are wide open!

SINGLE TAIL GOLDFISH BREEDS

Singletail goldfish are abundant and easy to care for in an outdoor pond or properly sized aquarium. They are not sensitive to water temperature, but prefer clean, filtered water with minimal current. Simpletails enjoy exploring a tank with decorations, plants, and hiding places, but they also need room to swim.

COMMON GOLDFISH ALSO KNOWN AS FEEDER GOLDFISH

Common goldfish don’t often get a lot of attention from lists like this, but many of us start out with tanks of these inexpensive fish! There really is nothing easier than keeping an ordinary goldfish. They have a wide range of acceptable temperatures, and although they don’t need a heater, they often do well in tropical settings.

Are feeder fish the same as common goldfish? It depends on the store. Commons are not always lesser quality feeder fish and many stores keep bright goldfish tanks for stocking aquariums and outdoor ponds. However, these fish can be more expensive than your feeder stock.

The feeders are usually small gray/brown goldfish, selected from groups of their more colorful and rapidly developing siblings. Their hardiness is identical to other common goldfish, but they are often packed into aquarium storage tanks and may not feed or be kept as well.

Breed	Common Goldfish, Feeder Goldfish
unique trait	N/A
level of care	Easy
ideal diet	Commercial goldfish flakes or pellets supplemented with live/frozen foods such as brine shrimp
scale type	metal flakes
Pattern	It can be any color or mix of colors other than percale, but the most common patterns are self-color or two-tone. Feed tanks are often considered multi-colored
Colors	Grey/brown, red/orange, and white/silver are the most common.
Average size	2 to 4 inches for juveniles; 10 to 12 inches at maturity, although there are many reports of these fish reaching 14 inches or more
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 20 gallons for adultsAdd 10-15 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Yes
Temperature range	Cold water 60 to 80°F
Tank Mate Compatibility	Compatible with other single tail goldfish, Pacific community fish, or koi with similar care requirements. Avoid staying with aggressive fish or small snails or shrimp that can be eaten

KITE GOLDFISH

>Comet goldfish have a slightly shorter and slimmer body than the common breed, but have a distinctive long tail with sharp tips. They need a little more space than common goldfish so they don’t damage their tails on their substrate or decorations. These goldfish are active and attractive, and are one of the most popular breeds of goldfish!

They are cold water fish and do well in ponds, but you can also keep them in heated aquariums. Kites are often intensely colored with a vivid red or orange hue, which looks amazing on a pond. Most kite fish are self-colored or bi-colored, usually coming in red and white or Sarassa morphs.

Breed	kite goldfish
unique trait	Unique long flowing tail that spreads out; the slender body is shorter than the common
level of care	Easy
ideal diet	Commercial goldfish flakes or pellets supplemented with live/frozen foods such as brine shrimp
scale type	metal flakes
Pattern	Usually self-colored or bi-colored. Reds and whites are the most common, but this breed also comes in Sarassa morphs.
Colors	Red/orange, white, yellow, green, or chocolate. Black kites are not true kites, but rather a hybrid species of koi/goldfish.
Average size	2 to 4 inches for juveniles; 10 to 12 inches long at maturity
Minimum tank size	15 gallons for juniors; 30 gallons for adultsAdd 15-20 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Yes
Temperature range	Cold water 60 to 80°F
Tank Mate Compatibility	Compatible with other single tail goldfish, Pacific community fish, or koi with similar care requirements. Avoid staying with aggressive fish or small snails or shrimp that can be eaten

NYMPH GOLDFISH

>You don’t see many Nymph goldfish for sale these days, but these fish were quite popular about 15 years ago and have since fallen out of fashion. These hearty fish are some of the best swimmers in the goldfish family, which is amusing given their egg-shaped body and long, unique tail. Some also have telescopic eyes.

Despite their name, nymphs are not small fish and can grow up to 30 centimeters long. It is believed that they were initially a cross between a Comet and a Fancy Fantail, although these days the trait usually appears as a recessive trait in Fantail and Veiltail crosses. They are easy to keep in a large pond or aquarium.

Breed	Nymph Goldfish
unique trait	It has the egg-shaped body of a fantail with the single tail of an abundant goldfish. It is believed to be a cross between a kite and a graceful fantail.
level of care	Easy
ideal diet	Commercial goldfish flakes or pellets supplemented with live/frozen foods such as brine shrimp
scale type	metal flakes
Pattern	Usually self-colored or bi-colored
Colors	Any color except calico
Average size	1 to 3 inches for juveniles; 10 to 12 inches long at maturity
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 20 gallons for adultsAdd 10-15 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Yes
Temperature range	Cold water 60 to 80°F
Tank Mate Compatibility	Compatible with other single tail goldfish, Pacific community fish, or koi with similar care requirements. Avoid staying with aggressive fish or small snails or shrimp that can be eaten

shubunkin goldfish

My favorite breed of goldfish is the mysterious Shubunkin. They can be very confusing to people new to keeping goldfish, because any single tailed fish that is calico colored is considered a Shubunkin. If you breed a comet or nymph goldfish with the calico trait, it’s still technically called a Shubunkin. Color morphology dictates the breed.

Even elegant goldfish with a calico morph can be referred to as Shubunkins, although some sellers still list them as calico. If you see a fancy breed of goldfish called the «Shubunkin type,» you can guarantee it’s a calico-colored fish. There are three types of shubunkin goldfish and their differences can be quite subtle.

AMERICAN/JAPANESE shubunkin

The American (also called Japanese) type of shubunkin is characterized by its tail. Its tail is longer than the other types with sharp tips and a deep fork. The American or Japanese shubunkin is considered by many to be the original form, and the others are likely descended from them.

BRISTOL shubunkin

>The Bristol type of shubunkin has a slender comet-like body with a distinctive large pointed tail.

LONDON shubunkin

>The last type of shubunkin is the London form, which has a slender body with shorter, rounder tail fins.

Breed	Shubunkin or Calico Goldfish
unique trait	Nacreous scales with percale color morph; The shape of the body and tail determines the specific type of shubunkin (American, Bristol or London)
level of care	Easy
ideal diet	Commercial goldfish flakes or pellets supplemented with live/frozen foods such as brine shrimp
scale type	Pearly
Pattern	Calico
Colors	The base color is usually blue with white, black, or red/orange flecks or spots. The scales can bring out iridescent blue/violet hues in some lighting conditions. Black is usually a stable color in calico goldfish
Average size	2 to 4 inches for juveniles; 10 to 12 inches long at maturity
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 20 gallons for adultsAdd 10-15 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Yes
Temperature range	Cold water 60 to 80°F
Tank Mate Compatibility	Compatible with other single tail goldfish, Pacific community fish, or koi with similar care requirements. Avoid staying with aggressive fish or small snails or shrimp that can be eaten

TAMASABA OR SABAO GOLDFISH

>This rare Japanese goldfish is not seen very often, but the Tamasaba is a brightly colored red or red/white goldfish with an egg-shaped body and a long, unique tail. Its tail is said to resemble the tail of a mackerel. They were originally bred from the Ryukin stock, and you can see the distinctive hump they have inherited from their ancestors.

These abundant round fish are great choices for koi ponds, where they add an interesting look compared to the slimmer koi. They do well in large aquariums, but should not be kept with other types of single tails. They are quite hard to find these days and there is not much information about them online.

Breed	Tamasaba, Sabao, or Mackereltail Goldfish
unique trait	Round, egg-shaped body with an arched back and a long, single tail with rounded tips.
level of care	Easy to Moderate
ideal diet	Commercial goldfish flakes or pellets supplemented with live/frozen foods such as brine shrimp
scale type	Metal
Pattern	own color or bicolor
Colors	Usually red/orange or red and white
Average size	1 to 2 inches for juveniles; 8 to 10 inches long at maturity
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 20 gallons for adultsAdd 10-15 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Yes
Temperature range	Cold water 60 to 80°F
Tank Mate Compatibility	It is best kept with other Tamasaba goldfish or koi rather than other breeds of singletail goldfish. Avoid staying with aggressive fish or small snails or shrimp that can be eaten

DOUBLE TAIL GOLDFISH: ELEGANT BREEDS

Doubletail goldfish are always graceful types of fish with a round, egg-shaped, or stooped body. These goldfish are more sensitive to water conditions and usually (but not always) need warmer tanks that maintain a constant temperature. They cannot swim very fast and most are not fit for life in a pond.

You can often keep different breeds of fancy goldfish in the same tank as long as they have enough space, but avoid keeping them with single tails. The slower quirks just can’t compete with them for food. Mix fantasies based on their physical traits and keep delicate breeds separate from more vigorous ones like Fantails.

Some of these breeds have physical traits that make them very prone to accidental injury, such as blue and bubble eyes. You may need to adjust your decor or equipment to keep your fish safe from harm. You will definitely need an aquarium heater and low flow filter for your delicate fish tank.

DOVETAIL GOLDFISH

If you want to jump into the world of fancy goldfish, you couldn’t pick a better starter fish than the fantail! While these fish require more precise conditions than simpletails, they are still one of the easiest goldfish to care for. Fantails have the classic egg-shaped bodies and the beautiful long double tails that give them their name.

Fantails are the base breed for nearly all fancy goldfish and are routinely bred on these lines to keep them genetically healthy. They prefer warmer water than the abundant goldfish and usually require an aquarium heater. Their tails make them somewhat awkward swimmers, but they do not need a high level of special care to thrive.

Breed	Fantail or Fancy Fantail Goldfish
unique trait	Egg-shaped body with a long double tail; Fish with extra-long tails may also be referred to as «ribbon-tailed fantails.»
level of care	Easy to Moderate
ideal diet	Commercial goldfish pellets are best, although strong swimmers may catch flake food. Supplement with live/frozen foods like brine shrimp
scale type	Metallic is the most common, but it can come in pearlescent or matte forms.
Pattern	Own color or bicolor; Red and white are the most common, but calico morphs are not unusual.
Colors	Usually red/orange or yellow. Black, white and koi color morphs are often available in Japan
Average size	1 to 2 inches for juveniles; 6 to 8 inches long at maturity
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 15 to 20 gallons for adultsAdd 10 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Nope
Temperature range	70 to 80°F; Not technically a tropical fish, but does better in warmer conditions.
Tank Mate Compatibility	Best housed with similar breeds of Fancy goldfish with the same care requirements, such as Ryukin. Avoid keeping in community tanks or with abundant single-tailed goldfish breeds

VEIL TAIL GOLDFISH

If you like the fantail look but are up for a challenge, consider the stunning Veiltail Goldfish. They have a rounder and slightly more compact body, but what makes them a spectacular sight is their 4-inch-long, flowing tail and dorsal fin. Veiltails are the most betta -like of all the goldfish with their elegant fins!

Veil tails are more difficult to maintain because those flaps limit your movements and can easily be damaged in your decoration. They also can’t hunt for scraps very well, and are best fed a floating diet that they can easily see and catch. They need a lot of room to maneuver around your tank and are too finicky for community aquariums.

Breed	veiltail goldfish
unique trait	Compact round body with a long, flowing dorsal fin and a well-spaced, elongated double tail 3 to 4 inches
level of care	moderate to difficult
ideal diet	Commercial floatable goldfish pellets are best, as goldfish can’t swim very well. Supplement with live/frozen foods like brine shrimp
scale type	Metallic is more desirable, but it can come in pearlescent or matte forms.
Pattern	Those of natural color or bicolor are the most common, but they can also come in the form of calico.
Colors	Usually red/orange or red and white
Average size	1 to 2 inches for juveniles; 7 to 8 inches long at maturity
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 15 to 20 gallons for adultsAdd 10 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Nope
Temperature range	70 to 80°F
Tank Mate Compatibility	It is best if housed with similar breeds of Fancy goldfish with the same care requirements, such as Bubble Eye or Celestial. Avoid staying in community tanks or with more abundant breeds of goldfish

BUTTERFLY TAIL GOLDFISH

Another showy breed known for their elegant fins, Butterfly Tail goldfish were bred to be observed from above. They have a ryukin -style hunched body with a long, widely extended double tail that looks like a butterfly when you look down at them. Butterflies often come with other fancy features, like telescopic eyes or hoods.

These goldfish are currently very popular with breeders and come in a wide variety of scale types, patterns, and colors. Recently, matte white, lavender and blue varieties of the same color are also becoming available, and more are sure to come!

Breed	butterfly tail goldfish
unique trait	Round, hunched body with a long, wide-spreading double tail. Viewed from above, the tail resembles a butterfly. Often comes with telescopic eyes like in the Butterfly Moor morph or with other graceful features
level of care	moderate to difficult
ideal diet	Commercial floatable goldfish pellets are best, as goldfish can’t swim very well. Supplement with live/frozen foods like brine shrimp
scale type	Metallic is desirable and the most common, but it can come in pearlescent or matte forms.
Pattern	Self colors or bicolors are the most common, but can occur in tricolor and calico morphs.
Colors	The panda is more desirable, but red and black/red and white morphs are also popular. Self-colored black is rarely stable and usually transforms into a red panda/panda
Average size	1 to 2 inches for juveniles; 7 to 8 inches long at maturity
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 15 to 20 gallons for adultsAdd 10 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Nope
Temperature range	70 to 80°F
Tank Mate Compatibility	It is best if housed with similar breeds of Fancy goldfish with the same care requirements, such as Bubble Eye or Celestial. Avoid staying in community tanks or with more abundant breeds of goldfish

WAKIN GOLDFISH

A rare graceful breed that does well in ponds and aquariums, the Wakin looks like a hybrid of a common goldfish or kite with a graceful fantail. They have a slimmer, more streamlined body, an upright dorsal fin that reaches almost to their back, and a handsome double tail that is slightly shorter than a fantail.

These strong swimmers are easily maintained and have no special requirements apart from needing a lot of space to reach their full size. Some of the pond-raised Wakins have reached almost 50 centimeters in length! You will also have a variety of colors and patterns to choose from.

WATONAI GOLDFISH (WAKIN HYBRID)

>Rather than discuss them separately, I am including the Watonai in the Wakin because they are closely related and have similar requirements. The Watonai has the same shape and colors as the Wakin but has a longer double tail. They are one of the most elegant breeds that can thrive in a pond and they are not difficult to care for!

races	Wakin Goldfish and Watonai Goldfish (Watonai hybrid)
unique trait	Slenderer goldfish-shaped body with an upright dorsal fin that extends down the spine and the classic double tail. The Watonai hybrid has a longer double tail, but the care requirements are the same
level of care	Easy to Moderate
ideal diet	Commercial goldfish flakes or pellets supplemented with live/frozen foods such as brine shrimp
scale type	Metallic is the most common, but it can come in mother-of-pearl.
Pattern	Traditionally self-coloured or bi-coloured, but recently available in calico morph
Colors	Red or red and white are the most desirable, but they also come in calico, chocolate, and yellow/orange colors.
Average size	2 to 4 inches for juveniles; 10 to 12 inches long at maturity, but there are reports of these fish reaching nearly 19 inches in pond settings.
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 30 gallons for adultsAdd 15-20 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Yes
Temperature range	Cold water from 60 to 78°F; often works fine without a heater
Tank Mate Compatibility	It is well suited to aquariums or ponds with common goldfish, kites or shubunkin.

ryukin GOLDFISH

Another one of my favorite breeds of goldfish, the ryukin is descended from the fantail and is the foundation for many other breeds such as the Watonai and Butterfly. These fish have a noticeable hump on their back that makes them as tall as they are long. They have a classic double tail and are one of the easiest fantasies to maintain.

Like the other more abundant fancy goldfish, Ryukin do well in ponds as long as their preferred warmer temperature is maintained with a heater. Or you can keep them in an aquarium with other goldfish. This is a good option if you are looking for small breeds of goldfish!

Breed	Ryukin Goldfish
unique trait	Round body with prominent humped back and classic double tail. The longest-tailed fish may be called the ribbon or fringed tail.
level of care	Easy to Moderate
ideal diet	Commercial goldfish flakes or pellets supplemented with live/frozen foods such as brine shrimp
scale type	Metallic is the most common, but pearlescent morphology is available.
Pattern	Same colour, bicolour, tricolour or percale
Colors	Red, red and white, calico, chocolate and white are the most common morphs.
Average size	2 to 4 inches for juveniles; 6 to 10 inches long at maturity
Minimum tank size	10 gallons for juniors; 20 to 30 gallons for adultsAdd 10 to 15 gallons per adult
Ok for ponds	Yes
Temperature range	65 to 78°F; better to keep the temperature with a heater
Tank Mate Compatibility	It works well in a tank or pond with common goldfish, kites, or shubunkin, or in a tank with other graceful fantails, lionheads, or orandas.

BODY OR PEACOCK GOLDFISH

>Another breed often called butterfly or peacock goldfish, the Jikin is a rare color morph from Japan. They generally have a longer body similar to the Common (although some have the Ryukin’s hunched trait) with a broad tail that is best seen from above.

Where the Jikin really stands out is its unique color pattern. The desired color scheme is always bicolor red and white, but the only acceptable red is on the tail, fins, gills, and lips. Red anywhere on the body other than these «12 points» is undesirable and is