Lionhead

Carassius auratus

Also known as Lionhead goldfish, Chinese lionhead, Hooded goldfish

FreshwaterFish

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

Care at a glance

Temperature: 61–75°F (16–24°C)
pH: 6.5–8.0
Adult size: 7.1 in (18 cm)
Minimum tank: 25 gal (95 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: A dorsal finless fancy goldfish bred in China, the ancestor of the Japanese ranchu, developed from domesticated Carassius auratus of East Asian freshwater.
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Give one lionhead about 95 L plus roughly 40 L per additional fish, with gentle filtration and no strong current. Keep the water 16 to 24 C at a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. Suitable tankmates are other slow fancies only. Feed sinking pellets and blanched vegetables, and keep the water clean so the wen does not become infected.

In the wild

The lionhead is the Chinese ancestor of the ranchu, a dorsal finless fancy goldfish with a rounded back and a dense wen covering the head and gill plates. It has a shorter, straighter back than the ranchu and a slightly longer tail. With no dorsal fin it is a slow, unsteady swimmer that needs calm water. Keep it cool and clean, about 16 to 24 C.

Good to know

The lionhead was bred in China and later exported and refined into the Japanese ranchu. Its wen, or hood, is an overgrowth of head skin that can grow so thick it obscures vision. Like all fancy goldfish it is a strain of the single species Carassius auratus.