Country of origin
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Type
Veiltailed
Breed standards
BAS

The veiltail is a type of 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....

 known for its extra-long, flowing double tail.

Description

The veiltail has a modified deep-and-round ryukin

Ryukin

The ryukin is a short deep-bodied fancy goldfish with a characteristic hump in the shoulder region.-Description:The ryukin is a hardy and attractive variety of goldfish with a pointed head and has a pronounced hump on the back behind the head. It may be long-finned or short-finned with either a...

-shaped body, though without the dorsal 'hump' characteristic of ryukins. The hallmark of the breed is its lengthy and graceful double tail which is square-edged and without any forking or indentation between the lobes.

It also has a high, prominent and well-developed dorsal fin. The anal fins are paired and are quite well developed as well. The term 'veiltail' is commonly and erroneously applied to any goldfish displaying a long caudal, but true veiltails must have all the characteristics described above. Veiltails are available in many colors and may have either metallic or nacreous scales. They can grow from 8 to 12 in (20.3 to 30.5 cm). They are not good swimmers but can be kept with other fancy goldfish. Veiltails will not accept temperatures below 55 °F (12.8 °C).

History and origins

The veiltail, a name coined by William T. Innes

William T. Innes

William Thornton Innes III, L.H.D. was an American aquarist, author, photographer, printer and publisher. Innes was the author of numerous influential books and hundreds of articles about aquarium fish, aquatic plants and aquarium maintenance during the formative years of the aquarium hobby in...

, originated in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in the 1890s when Franklin Barrett of Philadelphia bred a 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...

ese-bred ryukin to a telescope eye

Telescope Eye

The telescope eye or demekin is a fancy goldfish characterized by its protruding eyes. It is also known as globe eye or dragon eye goldfish.-Description:...

 goldfish that exhibited a short, square-edged caudal. This resulted in a strain of fish soon to be known throughout the world as Philadelphia veiltails.

Variants

Apart from those bred and developed in the United States, there are now also Chinese

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...

 and Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an strains. They can also occur with normal or telescope-eyes.

Special care

The long and trailing tail of the veiltail is delicate and can be easily damaged. Veiltails are also susceptible to low water temperatures. Telescope-eyed veiltails have difficulty competing for food with more active goldfish.