Ranchu Goldfish

Ranchu Goldfish

To give the Ancient Japanese and Chinese breeders some credit, fancy goldfish of the time were kept in ponds and ceramic vases and viewed from the top, so the round body and strange wen highlighted the visibility and beauty of the fish. Viewed from the side in an aquarium the round body and exaggerated fins and wen can look a bit odd.

The Ranchu Goldfish is a typical example of a highly bred fancy goldfish. Japanese breeders developed the Ranchu three hundred years ago to create fish with an even shorter body than the lionhead goldfish but with less wen, a “more elegant” version of the Chinese lionhead. The body and colors of Ranchu are similar to the Lionhead but the Ranchu has a downturned caudal fin to “shorten” the body.