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Lionhead (goldfish)
Encyclopedia
| Lionhead goldfish |
|---|
 |
| Country of origin |
| China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
| Type |
| Fantailed |
| Breed standards |
| BAS |
The lionhead is a hooded
Hood
-Apparel:* Hood , type of head covering** Article of Academic dress** Animal hood, something used in costume play or part of an animal transformation fantasy** Bondage hood, sex toy-Anatomy:* Hood , flap of skin behind the head of a cobra...
variety of fancy goldfish
Goldfish
The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
. This fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
is the precursor to the ranchu
Ranchu
The ranchu is a hooded variety of fancy goldfish developed in Japan. It is referred to as the "king of goldfish" by the Japanese.-Origins and evolution:The modern-day ranchu is a Japanese development of the lionhead...
.
Description
The tremendous hood or headgrowth and fat cheeks of lionheads give them a facial appearance similar to canine puppies. The "wen" (ChineseChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
term for headgrowth) fully covers the head, cheeks and gill plates of the fish. Furthermore, lionheads have short but deep bodies, and relatively straight or evenly arched backs without dorsal fins. The finnage, in general, is short. Breeding standards require that the lionhead’s anal fins are paired, the double tail fin should not droop, and its upper edges should be held away from the body. The tail of a traditional lionhead can be fully separated, partially separated, or webbed. The tail should also meet the caudal peduncle (the area where the body joins the tail) in a fashion that is almost perpendicular to the body. The caudal peduncle is ideally broad, allowing the tail to open when the fish swims. The back of the proper lionhead is quite broad to support the placement of the raspberry
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
-like hood. Hood development may vary but is more pronounced in males. The hood normally takes a year to develop in young fry. Mature male lionheads periodically shed patches of their headgrowths.
Lionheads can grow up to 6 inches (15 cm) in length (including finnage) and may have metallic, nacreous or matte
Matte
Matte may refer to:In film:* Matte , filmmaking and video production technology* Matte painting, a process of creating sets used in film and video* Matte box, a camera accessory for controlling lens glare...
scales. They come in a variety of coloration.
Origins
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to depict the image of the mythical Chinese lion-dog
Shishi
Shishi may refer to:*Chinese guardian lion, also known as a shishi*The left member of a pair of komainu*Shishi City, in Quanzhou, Fujian, China*Shishi , Japanese political activists of the late Edo period...
(the shishi
Shishi
Shishi may refer to:*Chinese guardian lion, also known as a shishi*The left member of a pair of komainu*Shishi City, in Quanzhou, Fujian, China*Shishi , Japanese political activists of the late Edo period...
, in Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
legend). They were introduced to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from China during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
produced lionheads with more rounded back profiles, modified tails and diminished size of the headgrowth.
Special care
Lionheads are sometimes sensitive to low water temperatures. Due to their slow nature, they should not be kept with faster moving fish such as comets, common goldfish, and shubunkins. If kept in an aquarium, the recommended tank size for one fish is 20 gallons with double filtration. They are social fish so tank mates are recommended. They should be kept in a species-only tank with other goldfish. It is advised to feed goldfish only sinking food because flakes can cause swim bladder issues. Lionhead goldfish are omnivores so they thrive on a diet rich in plant and animal matter. High-protein diets will make their colors more vibrant and will cause greater growth.See also
- Photo of a lionhead
- RanchuRanchuThe ranchu is a hooded variety of fancy goldfish developed in Japan. It is referred to as the "king of goldfish" by the Japanese.-Origins and evolution:The modern-day ranchu is a Japanese development of the lionhead...
- LionchuLionchuThe Lionchu or lionhead-ranchu is a fancy goldfish that has resulted from crossbreeding lionheads and ranchus.-Description:The Western criteria for lionchus combine the traditional characteristic side-view profiles of the ranchu and the lionhead...
