Bubble Eye

Carassius auratus

Also known as Water-bubble eye goldfish, Toadhead goldfish

FreshwaterFish

Bubble Eye (Carassius auratus) — Lawrencekhoo · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–73°F (18–23°C)
pH: 6.5–8.0
Adult size: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: A delicate dorsal finless fancy goldfish bred in China from domesticated Carassius auratus, whose wild ancestor lives in slow East Asian freshwater.
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

House bubble eyes in at least 75 L with a covered or sponge filtered intake and absolutely no sharp decor, using silk or soft live plants only. Keep the water 18 to 23 C at a pH of 6.5 to 8.0 and very clean. Keep them only with other slow, vision impaired fancies such as celestials. Feed slow sinking foods and give them extra time to locate meals.

In the wild

The bubble eye is a delicate dorsal finless fancy goldfish with two large, fluid filled sacs beneath upturned eyes. The sacs wobble as it swims and tear easily on sharp objects or filter intakes. A torn sac may partly heal but often becomes infected, so this is a fish for calm, hazard free tanks only. Keep the water warm and stable, around 18 to 23 C.

Good to know

The bubble eye's sacs are fluid filled pouches of skin under the eyes, a fixed trait selected purely for appearance that impairs vision and swimming. It has no dorsal fin, so it swims slowly and clumsily. It is one of the more fragile Carassius auratus strains to keep.