L I O N H E A D
Origin - China (Japan)
Difficulty - Intermediate
Availability - Uncommon (Ranchus & Lionchus rare)
Price - Moderate to Expensive
Adult Size - 5 to 8 inches
Scales - Metallic (Nacreous for Calico)
History & Background
Traditionally, Lionheads were not bred to have perfectly smooth backs. The
modern standards are more demanding The Lionhead is the oldest of the
dorsal-less breeds, originating as an offshoot from the Eggfish. The Lionhead
itself originated in China around the 1600s.
After being exported to Japan, it was further refined into the Ranchu variety in the mid-1800s. Ranchus are the most expensive goldfish you can buy. Though the Ranchu steals much of it's thunder, the Lionhead is a very popular breed in it's own right. Back to Top
Special Care
A juvenile goldfish, identifiable as a regular Lionhead
by it's shallow back and straight tail Juvenile Lionheads dont require
very much special care, and can even compete reasonably well with common goldfish
for food.
But as they get older their wen (headgrowth) may thicken considerably, obscuring their vision and encumbering their gills, making it harder to breathe. For this reason they also need well oxygenated water. Newer Lionheads seem to be getting fatter as well, which will further handicap their ability to swim as they age.
Beyond that, Lionheads can survive in a broad temperature range, and can be kept in ponds just fine (though they cant endure the same temperature extremes common goldfish can). As long as they are not kept with fish that will out-compete them for food.
Ideal Characteristics
Ranchus themselves come in two varieties; "Sideview"
and "Topview" Body depth should be equal to 1/2 the body
length or more. Modern Lionhead standards seem to be migrating in the direction
of Ranchu-like fatter bodies. The back should be a smooth shallow arch from
head to tail, with no imperfections. Old drawings of Lionheads show them with
straight backs, so the standard seems to have changed. Probably due to the
popularity of the Ranchu.
Lionheads should have a full hood, dense and well developed. As their name implies, they have wide massive heads compared to other goldfish. Their faces look like fish versions of bulldogs or (dare I say it) Lions.
They should have no dorsal fin. All other fins should be paired and have a rounded appearance. Caudal fins should be divided and moderately forked.
As you can see from this etching by Shinnosuke Matsubara
in 1908, the original Ranchus were almost identical to standard Lionheads.
Lionheads have short stiff fins that are slightly rounded on the ends. Lionhead
Caudal fins are either straight or slightly inclined up from the tail. Color
saturation of the fins is not only desired, but seems to be the norm for this
breed. Even from common pet store specimens.
Most Lionheads are orange or a mix of orange and white, but they come in virtually all colors. Black seems to be the new favorite. Back to Top
Known Variants
A juvenile Calico Ranchu
The most famous
variant is the Ranchu, which are viewed as high-end "thoroughbred"
versions of Lionheads. They are a Japanese bred branch of the common Lionhead.
These are the rock stars of the goldfish world, and have much more exacting
standards than other goldfish breeds. Of all the different breeds of Fancy
Goldfish, Ranchus are the most expensive. You will probably not find these
at your local pet store...they are typically available only from foreign breeders.
There is a lot of debate as to whether they are truely different breeds at all, since all of the traits found in Ranchus are acceptable in regular Lionheads as well. But in general, Ranchus are distinguished by having backs that arch steeply downward and Caudal fins that are more vertical than Lionheads. In recent years the populariety of Ranchu has motivated breeders to make Lionheads with similar arched backs.
Topview Ranchus have the same arched backs, but
more horizontal tails, because they are intended to be viewed in ponds from
above
The lower caudal lobes of the Ranchu are also splayed outward
almost forming a triangle, and have a much more vertical angle from the tail.
Ranchus have full hoods, but much less headgrowth than Lionheads. Some lines
have been crossbred with Lionheads to accentuate their headgrowth more...these
are usually referred to as "Buffalo heads". They look just like
Ranchus but have heavy headgrowth.
There are two variations on the Ranchu; Sideview and Topview. They have different characteristics depending on whether they are intended to be viewed in a pond (Topview) or an aquarium (Sideview), but the differences are fairly minor, and only breeders will really notice the difference.
A Calico Ranchu. Note the deeply arching back and
more vertical tail compared to a Lionhead
Multi-colored Ranchu are
called Edoni.
Lionchus are a crossbreed between purebred Lionheads and purebred Ranchus, with traits of both. In the beginning they were regarded as a "sport" fish, but seemed to have gained official recognition recently as a separate variety of Lionhead in show circles.
Pugface Lionheads are Lionheads with a flat face. They have less headgrowth on the top of the head, but heavy headgrowth on the cheeks.
Tancho Lionheads are basically like a Lionhead version of a Red Cap Oranda, except that they still have a full hood. All white with red over the top of their head.
There is a long-finned version of the Lionhead in Japan called the Shukin.
Many sport varieties exist (Lionheads with PomPoms or dorsal fins for example) but these are not regarded as actual Lionheads. Back to Top
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