Ranchu goldfish: the fish that looks like a buffalo

When I first saw a Ranchu goldfish, I was pretty amazed. It really didn’t look like it belonged to the goldfish family at all. There are so many different types of goldfish that they all look so different it’s surprising that they are all inter-related.

A Ranchu goldfish has a large round body with a curved back. It has short fins, and a pinched tail fin which is at 45 degrees, to its body. This type of goldfish doesn’t have a dorsal fin, so the curvature of its back looks really dominant.

Its head is also a dominant feature. In Asia this type of fish is also known as ‘buffalo-head’, which is an excellent description of how it looks.

These fish were bred in Japan from the Lionhead variety of goldfish. The Japanese love these fish and call them the ‘King of Goldfish’. They even have goldfish shows to prove which Ranchu is the most spectacular. These fish really are stunning, once you get used to the way they look.

As with all goldfish, they are friendly, and make an excellent addition to any aquarium. They need lots of swimming room, and love their food. They will compete with other fish to make sure they get their fair share of any food. The goldfish diet is pretty standard: flakes, blanched peas, zucchini, spinach, lettuce, and blood worms.

The Ranchu goldfish moves within the aquarium or pond with real grace. It can live for many years as long as the conditions are right. Please see how to care for goldfish for more information.

To find out more about the many different types of goldfish please click on the fish breed that catches your interest: Common, Comet, Black Moor, Bubble Eye, Celestial Eye, Fantail, Panda goldfish, Telescope Eye, Pompom, Veil Tail, Ryukin, Shubunkin, Pearl Scale, Oranda, and Lionhead.

The excellent photo above came from the Bristol Aquarists Society.