*The Telescope-eyed Goldfish.
Several of the
exotic varieties possess protruding eyes, the
Chinese being responsible for this peculiarity.
They are very short-sighted and for this reason
find the task of discovering food difficult.
If fishes of a more normal type are kept in
the same aquarium, poor Telescope stands a
good chance of starving. Fancy ornaments
and rocks, against which the half-blind fish
may injure itself, should be barred.
* The Celestial.
This is a ' telescope-eyed '
fish also ; the eyes, however, are fixed so that
the unfortunate creature can only gaze up-
wards. Moreover, the Celestial has no dorsal
fin.
*Nymph.
In the opinion of many fish
fanciers the Nymph is even more beautiful
than the Veiltail. The tail is single and not
in three pieces as in the Veiltail and is ex-
ceedingly broad and long ; the dorsal fin is
very high.
*Moor.
The Moor is one of the greatest
triumphs of the fish breeder. Imagine a
telescope-eyed veiltail which, instead of being
gold-coloured, is jet black, and you have the
Moor. A semi-golden sheen covers the whole
fish. A perfect Moor may cost as much as £5.
*The Lionhead or Ranchu.
For about the
first two years of its life the Lionhead resembles
the Fantail goldfish, except that there is no
dorsal fin ; after that age warty protuber-
ances develop on the gills and head region
generally. At about four years of age, from
these growths, the fish seems to be all head,
In America, where it is very popular, this fish
is called the ' Buffalo ' and its head certainly
does resemble that of America's national
animal. The first pair purchased in this
country cost something like £200 ; to-day,
on the rare occasions when they are available,
up to £20 a pair is asked. Owing to the
protuberances on the gills restricting breath-
ing, the water in their aquarium should be
well oxygenated.
* The Orunda.
This is, in reality, a Veiltail
with Lionhead characteristics-or vice versa !
It is slightly more hardy than the Lionhead.
*The Shubunkin.
The Shubunkin, or, as it
is sometimes called, the Harlequin-fish, is a
close relation of the ordinary goldfish ; all the
exotic goldfish varieties, also, are reproduced.
The scales are transparent and for this reason
the Shubunkin tribe are referred to by aquar-
ists as ' scale-less ' ; this, of course, is not the
case. Nevertheless, the fish looks as though
those dermal outgrowths were absent. The
colouring of this fish is its greatest glory,
every colour of the rainbow, and a few others
besides, may be present on the one fish.
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