R Y U K I N
Origin - Japan
Difficulty - Beginner
Availability - Common
Price - Cheap to Moderate
Adult Size - 7 to 9 inches
Scales - Metallic or Matte (Nacreous for Calico)
History & Background
A Show-quality orange Ryukin with Ribbon-tail style finnage
Very popular
in both the US and Japan, the Ryukin is a Japanese breed which appears very
similar to a Fantail except for it's massive dorsal hump. In recent years
breeders have tried to enhance this hump, making some Ryukins outrageously
tall.
It is named after a string of Islands between Japan and Taiwan. It was bred in Japan from Fantails starting in the late 1700s. Back to Top
Special Care
A "green" Ryukin - The pom poms (nasal
flares) are not ideal for this breed
Ryukins are fairly vigorous and
will outcompete weaker breeds (like Celestials and Bubble Eyes) for food.
They may become aggressive to weaker breeds as well. So they should only be
kept with other Ryukins or fish of similar swimming ability, such as Orandas
and Lionheads.
Because of their distorted body shape, their intestinal tracts may have "dead zones" where food gets caught, resulting in constipation. Normally, when goldfish float upside down it is a symptom of swim bladder disorder. But with Ryukins, it is a common sign of constipation. Overfeeding is the main cause of this.
Feeding them foods like pealed green peas will act as a laxitive. But another solution is to simply stop feeding the fish for several days until it's digestive tract clears out.
They can be kept in ponds but were bred to be viewed from the side. So they are intended for aquariums. Because of their tall profile, they need more vertical space than other breeds of goldfish.
Ideal Characteristics
A good example of a standard
Red/White Ryukin with Fantail
finnage
The body is identical to a fantail except that it is very deep.
It has a defined head and snout, with the hump rising sharply and dramatically
right behind the head.
The body is very deep, and it is the only goldfish breed which has a body that may be deeper (taller) than it is long. Higher humps are more desirable and seem to be much more common nowadays, even in chain stores.
The head should be distinct from the body and snouted (but smooth), without any wen or nasal bouquets.
Striking red and white matte varieties are common
now
Traditional Ryukin fins are similar to a Fantail, being stiff
and erect. Ribbontail, Fringetail, and Butterfly tail variants exist as well
(The fish in the big picture at the top of this entry is a Butterfly tail).
A curved mohawk-like shape to the dorsal (like the crest on a Roman Soldier's helmet) is desirable. Tall dorsal fins which accentuate the hump are also desirable.
Red, White, and mottled red/white patterns are the dominant colors in this breed, but black/"blue", chocolate, and calico versions have also been bred as well. There is a blackish-copper colored variant sometimes referred to as "green". Back to Top
Known Variants
Unlike other breeds of Goldfish, Ryukins
have not been heavily hybridized (the Japanese tend to frown on hybrids in
general), so all of the variants are differentiated only by their finnage.
Ryukins can be found with Fringetail, Butterfly Fantail and Ribbontail finnage (shown right), in addition to the standard Fantail fin types. But common fantail finnage is the default.
All Ryukins have exaggerated Dorsal fins however, no matter what their fin type is. Back to Top
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