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Variety of Goldfish

Lionhead

Carassius auratus

One of 12 varieties of Carassius auratus · See all varieties →

Also known as Lionhead goldfish, Chinese lionhead, Hooded goldfish

FreshwaterFish

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

Varieties · Carassius auratus

See all 12 →

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
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
A dorsal finless fancy goldfish bred in China, the ancestor of the Japanese ranchu, developed from domesticated Carassius auratus of East Asian freshwater.

Overview

The lionhead is a fancy goldfish with no dorsal fin, a rounded back and a dense wen covering its head and gill plates. It suits a calm tank and a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

A young lionhead looks almost plain, because the wen takes a year or more to develop. The hood then fills in over the head and cheeks.

Caring for the lionhead

Give one lionhead about 25 gal (95 L), plus roughly 40 L for each additional fish. It is a slow, unsteady swimmer that needs calm water, so use gentle filtration and avoid any strong current.

A well fed goldfish makes a lot of ammonia, and dirty water can leave the wen infected. Keep the water cool and clean, at 61 to 75°F (16 to 24°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 8.0.

Feed sinking pellets and blanched vegetables, with the odd frozen food. A goldfish has no stomach, so food passes through it quickly.

Lionheads are peaceful and social, and they want the company of their own kind. Keep them with other slow fancies only. They are moderately difficult to breed.

Good to know

The lionhead's wen, or hood, is an overgrowth of head skin that can grow so thick it obscures its vision. It has a shorter, straighter back than the ranchu and a slightly longer tail. Like all fancy goldfish, it is a strain of the single species Carassius auratus, in the family Cyprinidae.

In the wild

The lionhead was bred in China from domesticated Carassius auratus, a fish of East Asian freshwater. It was later exported and refined into the Japanese ranchu.

From published sources

Tank mates

Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the lionhead by at least two published care guides. Every partner here handles cool water. The tank needs about 20 gallons (75 liters) for the first fancy goldfish and 10 gallons (38 liters) for each extra one.

Sources: Practical Fishkeeping, Aquarium Co-Op, Fishkeeping World, Aquarium Source, Tropical Fish Hobbyist.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is a lionhead a different species from the goldfish?

No. A lionhead is a variety of the goldfish, Carassius auratus. It is kept the same way apart from difficulty, adult size, tank size and temperature.

What size tank does a lionhead need?

A lionhead needs at least 25 gal (95 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What does a lionhead eat?

A lionhead eats sinking pellets and blanched vegetables, plus the odd frozen food.

How big does a lionhead get?

An adult lionhead reaches about 7.1 in (18 cm).

What fish can live with the lionhead?

Published care guides name weather loach, bristlenose pleco, bulldog pleco and variable platy, among others. Every partner here handles cool water. The tank needs about 20 gallons (75 liters) for the first fancy goldfish and 10 gallons (38 liters) for each extra one.

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