Celestial Eye

Carassius auratus

Also known as Celestial goldfish, Stargazer goldfish, Choten gan

FreshwaterFish

Celestial Eye (Carassius auratus) — JasonMarini · Public domain

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: Rare
Origin: A dorsal finless fancy goldfish with upturned eyes, bred in China and Japan from domesticated Carassius auratus native to slow East Asian freshwater.
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep celestials in at least 75 L with gentle filtration and no sharp objects. Water should be 18 to 23 C at a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. House them only with other slow, near sighted fancies such as bubble eyes, never with fast or nippy fish. Feed slow sinking pellets and soft foods, dropping food directly above them since they look up to see it.

In the wild

The celestial eye is a dorsal finless fancy goldfish whose eyes point permanently upward. It sees mainly above itself and cannot spot food to the sides, so it feeds slowly and needs a calm tank. Like other extreme fancies it swims slowly and is easily outcompeted. Keep it in stable, warm water around 18 to 23 C with smooth decor.

Good to know

In the celestial eye the eyes rotate upward during the first months of life and then fix in that position. The trait is selected for looks and leaves the fish with a narrow field of view. It is a strain of Carassius auratus with no dorsal fin.

Did you know

Because their eyes face the sky, celestials are one of the few goldfish that feed more easily from the surface directly overhead than from the tank floor.