Types of Goldfish: Common and Fancy Breeds Explained

Goldfish are a classic aquarium fish and a common first choice for beginners. Most people picture a bright orange fish, but goldfish come in dozens of shapes, sizes, and colors.

This guide covers the main types, from hardy single-tailed breeds to delicate fancy goldfish, plus how much space each group needs and which ones suit beginners.

What Is the Difference Between Single-Tailed and Double-Tailed Goldfish?

Goldfish are usually split into two groups: single-tailed and double-tailed.

Single-tailed goldfish have one tail fin and a single anal fin. They have long, streamlined bodies and are what most people imagine when they think of a goldfish. Common, comet, and shubunkin goldfish are in this group.

Double-tailed goldfish, often called fancy goldfish, have a split (paired) tail fin and a paired anal fin. Many also have exaggerated features such as egg-shaped bodies, bubble eyes, head growths, or humps.

The two groups need different care. Single-tailed goldfish are fast, hardy, and grow large. Fancy goldfish are slower, usually cost more, and are more prone to health problems such as swim bladder trouble, which is partly due to their body shape.

How much space does each type need?

Goldfish are messy and grow bigger than most store tanks suggest. Sources differ, but most agree on these starting points:

• Fancy goldfish: about 20 gallons for the first fish, plus 10 or more for each extra fish.
• Single-tailed goldfish: far more. Plan on 50 to 75 gallons or more for the first fish, or keep them in a pond.
• Temperature: roughly 65-75°F. Sources vary a little, and fancies tolerate the low-to-mid 70s well. Heat is rarely needed in a heated home.
• Lifespan: goldfish commonly live 10 to 15 years, and some live longer with good care. Fancy types often live less than single-tailed fish.

Never keep goldfish in a bowl.

What Are the Single-Tailed Goldfish Types?

Single-tailed goldfish have long, slim bodies and one tail fin. Goldfish are native to China. Because they are popular, they have been introduced into waters around the world.

Common Goldfish

The common goldfish is the standard variety sold at most pet shops. Wild goldfish are usually a dull olive or bronze-gray. The orange and gold colors come from selective breeding, and common goldfish also come in red, white, yellow, and calico patterns.

Common goldfish often reach 10 to 12 inches, and they keep growing in a pond or a large tank. They should never be kept in a bowl.

They are also sold as feeder goldfish. A feeder goldfish is a regular goldfish, and it needs the same space as any other.

Comet Goldfish

The comet goldfish is one of the most popular single-tailed types. It was developed in the United States in the late 1800s.

Comets look like a common goldfish with a deeply forked, long, trailing tail. They are typically orange or yellow, but come in other colors. They are very fast swimmers, so they suit ponds and large tanks better than small aquariums.

Like common goldfish, comets are often sold as feeder goldfish.

Shubunkin Goldfish

The shubunkin goldfish is similar to the comet in shape but has a calico pattern instead of a solid color. Its scales are translucent, which lets the blue, red, white, and black patches show through.

Shubunkins are hardy and active. Varieties include:

• Blue shubunkin
• London shubunkin
• Bristol shubunkin
• American shubunkin

Like comets, shubunkins need plenty of room and do best in a pond or large tank.

Sarasa and “Koi” Goldfish

“Koi goldfish” is a trade name for goldfish with a koi-like pattern, which is white or silver with red or orange patches and sometimes black. They are not koi, which are a different species of carp. Red-and-white comets are known as sarasa comets, and some larger shubunkins also look like koi. They can work as a cheaper pond fish than real koi.

What Are the Goldfish Colors and Patterns?

Color is not a breed, and most colors appear across several breeds.

Orange Goldfish

This is the best-known color, from golden yellow to deep red. It is a product of selective breeding, and goldfish released into the wild can lose it over generations and return to a duller wild color.

Rainbow Goldfish

“Rainbow goldfish” is a trade name rather than a standard breed. It usually means a white-scaled fish, or a calico, that looks iridescent in certain light.

Blue Goldfish

A true blue goldfish is uncommon. Blue shows up as a base color in calico fish and in some telescopes and orandas, but many fish sold as blue are more gray or lavender. Deeper blue usually costs more.

Black Goldfish

Black goldfish are melanistic, meaning they have extra dark pigment. Black moors are the best-known example, and black orandas exist too. Keepers report that black fish can fade to bronze or orange as they age, particularly with stress or changes in diet and light.

Calico Goldfish

Calico goldfish are mottled, with blue, red, white, orange, and black patches. The shubunkin is the best-known single-tailed calico, and calico patterns also appear on fancy types. Colors can change as the fish matures.

Scaleless Goldfish

Scaleless, or matt, goldfish have few or no scales, so their skin looks smooth. Breeders have selected for this look on purpose. These fish need clean water and smooth decor, since their skin is less protected.

Albino Goldfish

Albinism is a lack of pigment, and it is rare in goldfish. Albino fish are cream or pale, with pink or red eyes.

What Are the Double-Tailed (Fancy) Goldfish Types?

Most fancy goldfish were developed in China over several centuries, and many were later refined in Japan. The defining feature is the paired tail fin, which you can see clearly from behind or above (see caudal fins). Many types have short, round bodies, which is why they swim slowly and are prone to buoyancy problems.

Fantail Goldfish

The fantail goldfish is often the best first fancy. It has an egg-shaped body, a high dorsal fin, and a long, fan-shaped double tail. Colors are usually white with orange, red, or gold, or solid red and gold.

In a tank, fantails usually reach about 6 inches or more, and they can grow larger in a pond.

Telescope Eye Goldfish

Telescope goldfish are popular fancy goldfish with large, protruding eyes. The eyes can be round, cone-shaped, or tube-shaped. They originated in China.

The typical telescope looks like a veiltail goldfish with bulging eyes. Their eyesight is poor, so keep decor smooth and feed them where they can find food.

Ryukin and Fringetail Goldfish

The ryukin goldfish has a short, deep body with a hump behind the head, a tall dorsal fin, and a double tail. It is a Japanese breed, and the long-tailed form is called a fringetail or ribbontail ryukin.

Ryukins come in gold, white, red, and calico.

Oranda Goldfish

The oranda goldfish has a fantail-type body and a raised, fleshy growth on its head, called a wen. A popular color form is a white body with a red wen, known as a redcap oranda. Orandas also come in red, blue, black, and calico.

A heavy wen needs clean water, since the folds can trap dirt and develop infections.

Lionhead Goldfish

The lionhead goldfish is a Chinese breed with a wen but no dorsal fin. The body is short and round. The wen keeps growing with the fish, and a very large one can cover the eyes or the gills and interfere with breathing and eating.

Lionheads come in red, white, gold, and calico.

Ranchu Goldfish

The ranchu goldfish is the Japanese version of the lionhead. It has a deep body with a sharply curved back, no dorsal fin, and a short tail. It is highly prized in Japan.

Wakin Goldfish

The wakin is a Japanese fancy goldfish with a long, slim body like a common goldfish but with a paired tail and anal fin. It is hardy and often kept in ponds. Wakins can reach about 10 to 12 inches.

Pearlscale Goldfish

Pearlscale goldfish have round, ball-shaped bodies, with raised, dome-shaped scales that look like pearls. They have a dorsal fin and short fins.

Their round shape makes them prone to buoyancy problems, so feed them sinking food and avoid overfeeding.

Bubble Eye Goldfish

The bubble eye is one of the most controversial goldfish breeds. It has large fluid-filled sacs under the eyes and no dorsal fin. The sacs are fragile and can be torn by sharp decor or strong flow, and the breeding emphasis on larger sacs has been criticized.

This is not a good first fancy. Keep the tank bare of sharp objects and only use gentle flow.

Black Moor Goldfish

The black moor goldfish is a black telescope-eye goldfish. It is a slow swimmer, so keep it with other slow fancy types rather than fast single-tailed fish.

Other Fancy Goldfish Varieties

• Black oranda goldfish: A black form of the oranda, with the usual wen.
• Eggfish goldfish: A Chinese fancy with an egg-shaped body and no dorsal fin, usually white, but also red, gold, or mottled.
• Butterfly goldfish: A telescope goldfish bred for a tail that spreads like butterfly wings when seen from above.
• Celestial goldfish: A telescope variant with eyes that point upward and no dorsal fin.
• Veiltail goldfish: The veiltail has a long, flowing double tail that is square-edged with no fork, plus a tall dorsal fin. Its body is round, like a ryukin without the hump.
• Izumo Nankin goldfish: A rare Japanese breed, similar to the eggfish and the ranchu. It is usually red and white.
• Jikin goldfish: A rare Japanese breed that looks like the wakin. It is usually white with bright red on the lips and fins.

Which Goldfish Type Is Right for You?

Pick a goldfish by what you can house and maintain, not just by looks.

• For a typical home tank (20 to 40 gallons): a fantail, ryukin, or oranda is usually a better fit than a single-tailed breed.
• For a pond or a tank of 75 gallons or more: common, comet, shubunkin, or wakin goldfish.
• For experienced keepers: lionhead, ranchu, bubble eye, and telescope goldfish need gentle conditions and closer attention.

Don’t mix fast single-tailed goldfish with slow fancy types in the same tank. The fast fish tend to get the food first.

What are the most common goldfish mistakes?

• Keeping goldfish in a bowl or a tank that is too small.
• Overfeeding, which causes ammonia spikes and bloating.
• Weak filtration. Goldfish make a lot of waste.
• Treating “feeder” goldfish as short-lived, even though they can live for years.

Goldfish are still a classic, and with the right tank and diet, they make a great addition to the home.