W A K I N
Origin - Japan
Difficulty - Beginner
Availability - Rare
Price - Moderate to Expensive in America
Adult Size - 9 to 11 inches
Scales - Metallic only
History & Background
Adult Wakin
A Pond fish bred in Japan since the 1500s, the Wakin looks
very similar to a Common Goldfish, but has a split tail. In fact, the literal
translation of Wakin in Japanese is "Japanese Goldfish".
This causes some confusion in the United States, because the word "Wakin" is used to denote single-tailed Common Goldfish in Japan as well...they use the word to refer to both types of fish. But in America it specifically refers to the fantailed fish shown here.
They look a lot like Fantailed versions of Koi, but have no barbels (whiskers). Wakin can be in the same price ranges as Koi though, with adult fish fetching hundreds of dollars. In Japan juveniles can be bought cheaply, but they are hard to find in America (and therefore more expensive), and usually have to be mail ordered. Back to Top
Special Care
The Wakin requires no special care, and can
survive in any environment that the Common Goldfish can survive in.
Wakin are intended as pond fish just as koi are. Unlike Koi
however they are not as demanding whenn it comes to water volume, and can
tolerate less space than Koi.
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Ideal Characteristics
The body shape is similar to the Common Goldfish but more torpedo-shaped
(wider). The tail is split like a Fantail. Wakins are intended to be viewed
from the top, so they have a downward pointing tailbone sort of like a Ranchu.
The size range described above is for typical specimens, but some Wakin have
been measured as large as 18 inches.
Wakins have fins identical to a Common Goldfish except for their anal and caudal fins, which are divided like a Fantail. The Caudal fins are spread out horizontally.
The most common colorations are mottled red and white (Usually denoted by "dominant red" meaning the fish is mostly red, or "dominant white" meaning the fish is mostly white). Ideally, wakin will be only red, white, or both.
Other colors available are orange, red, "golden" (a light yellow), white ("Pearl") and variegated (white with "freckles" of color, usually red). Back to Top
Known Variants
There are no recognized Wakin variants.
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