The celestial eye goldfish or Choutengan[1] is a double-tailed breed of fancy goldfish that possesses a distinctive pair of telescope eyes, in which the eyeballs are turned vertically and the pupils appear to be gazing skyward.[2]
Upon hatching of celestial fry, the young fishes' eyes are positioned normally but gradually enlarge, such as with the telescope eye goldfish. However, the telescope-eye still gazes laterally; the celestial goldfish's pupils will shift to a near-vertical (at times, "cross-eyed") gaze within a six-month period after hatching, as the eyeballs are repositioned and the pupils are centered on the top of the head.[3]
This process is entirely governed by genetics; early sources perpetuated the myth that the fish were bred in and contained within narrow-necked clay jars, with the eyes mutating upwards in search of what limited light they could receive.[4]
Origins
Celestials first appeared as a direct mutation of the telescope goldfish in the 18th century. It is still unclear as to where, exactly, this occurred first—in Korea or China. The earliest known documentation of a celestial existing appears on a Chinese scroll dated to 1772, in which a goldfish lacking a dorsal fin and possessing protuberant, upturned eyes is described.
Celestials did not arrive in Japan until 1903, at which time 30 specimens arrived from China and became the founding stock for Japanese breeders. Japan quickly became the leading producer of celestials for export, and remained so until the outbreak of WWII. The breed first arrived in the United States from Japan in the 1900s and 1910s, and were included in the first edition of Goldfish Varieties and Tropical Aquarium Fishes (1917) by William T. Innes. American fanciers successfully bred the fish and, in turn, exported foundational stock to Great Britain. After WWII, and ever since, the majority of celestial goldfish exported from Asia are of Chinese origin. A celestial is depicted on a postage stamp, issued in 1960, by the People's Republic of China.
Group of Celestial Goldfish
Description and physical traits
The celestial has an elongate, egg-shaped body similar to the bubble-eye. Similarly, the celestial does not have a dorsal fin. Their paired fins are of the fantail or ryukin type. The caudal fin may measure half as long to equally as long as the fish's body. They are most commonly seen with metallic scales, colored shades of orange (or 'red', to fanciers) and white, or red and white. Celestials with nacreous or shiny scales are known, but rarely seen.
Despite their visual and ocular differences, and lacking of a dorsal fin, celestials are as active and agile of swimmers as any goldfish. However, due to this vertically-focused field of vision, celestials are unable to compete with more vigorous breeds of goldfish for food—including telescope-eye goldfish—thus are best kept in their own setup or with bubble-eye breeds.[2][5]
Additionally, as their eyeballs are extremely large and vulnerable to injury—thus affecting their ability to navigate perfectly while swimming—care must be taken to protect celestials from sharp rocks, gravel, driftwood, artificial plants with sharp edges, or other such decor. Smooth-bottomed aquariums with silk decorative plants are best; live plants are also beneficial, provided their foliage is not sharp or hard in any way, though may become problematic for many keepers of goldfish; as a whole, goldfish are known to be curious to the point of destructive, even eating any plant they come across. However, live plants may be successfully grown when kept with smaller or juvenile goldfish, and have the added benefit of neutralizing ammonia, nitrates and other substances brought about by fish waste. Appropriate species may include epiphytic, soft-leaved genera such as Anubias, Bolbitis ('African water ferns'), Bucephalandra or Leptochilus ('Java ferns', formerly Microsorum), as they may be attached to smooth rocks or non-jagged pieces of driftwood, minimizing the need for excessive decor or a rich substrate. Some larger specimens of Cryptocoryne or Echinodorus (the 'Amazon swords') may be safe from damage by smaller goldfish, but are not epiphytes, thus requiring a richer, more organic substrate to thrive. Although many enthusiasts consider goldfish to be "cold-water" fishes, celestials are also somewhat more sensitive to temperature fluctuations, preferring their water to remain in the lower to mid-70s °F (i.e., between 21°C and 23.89°C).
Variants
The original Celestial breed, described above, is still bred and exported by Chinese and Japanese breeders and is commercially available to fanciers, though they are not as commonly stocked by aquarium shops and dealers as some other goldfish varieties. It is this 240+ year old form that is described in the American standard adopted by the American Goldfish Association and the Goldfish Society of America. British fanciers prefer their Celestials to have deeper bodies and shorter fins, and have selectively bred for these features as required by the British standard. Standard Celestials are ugly, but the Chinese have crossed Celestials with several other breeds, most commonly Lionheads, Ranchus and Pompoms, producing much larger fish with short ranchu-like fins and very deep, blocky bodies, often with nasal 'bouquets' (pompoms) and rudimentary head growths.
Some of these crosses tend to be less animated swimmers, especially those that possess a short, sharply downturned, ranchu-like caudal peduncle with flared and short caudal fins, traits which are otherwise uncharacteristic for the breed. Such fish can be quite sedentary, spending most of their time at or near the bottom of the aquarium; however, a more expansive color range can be found among these hybrids, with metallic specimens appearing in chocolate, black and various bi-colors in addition to the standard metallic colors, and nacreous fish seen in bi-color, tri-color and calico. These hybrids are not generally available commercially outside Asia but can be acquired through specialist dealers and importers. The Deme-ranchu is identical to the Celestial in conformation save for its telescopic eyes which do not turn upward. In any spawning of Celestials, many fry will be found to mature with telescopic eyes that never turn upwards. These fish are identical to deme-ranchu. The Toadhead or Hama-tou in Japanese, is similar to the Celestial in having upward-turned eyes, though they are not protuberant, each supporting a small bubble-like growth sacs beneath it. It is believed to be the ancestor to both the celestial eye and bubble eye goldfish.[2]
Shubunkins are a hardy, single-tailed goldfish with nacreous scales and a pattern known as calico. The Shubunkins are of Japanese origin.
Calico goldfish are goldfish of any breed that have a type of scale that is intermediate between the metallic type of scales and the transparent type. These scales have a slight sheen that produces a pearly appearance. The name "calico goldfish" came about because the first fish that were introduced with this type of scales had a mottled calico pattern with several colours.
The Bubble Eye is a small variety of fancy goldfish with upward-pointing eyes that are accompanied by two large fluid-filled sacs. It is a dorsal-less fish – good specimens will have a clean back and eye bubbles that match in color and size. Their bubbles are quite delicate, so the fish should be kept separately from boisterous types, as well as sharp tank decor. Although the bubbles will regrow if punctured, an injury could leave the fish prone to infections. The bubbles can disadvantage the fish as it is not a strong swimmer, with a seemingly low bobbing head at times; bubbles are infamous for being sucked into filters and siphons in an aquarium.
The comet or comet-tailed goldfish is a single-tailed goldfish bred in the United States. It is similar to the common goldfish, except slightly smaller and slimmer, and is mainly distinguished by its long deeply forked tail. Comet goldfish tend to have a diverse variety of colors, unlike the common goldfish.
The telescope, telescope goldfish or telescope eye is a goldfish characterised by its protruding eyes. It was first developed in the early 1700s in China, where the trait was referred to as dragon eyes.
The ryukin is a short deep-bodied fancy goldfish with a characteristic hump in the shoulder region.
An oranda is a breed of goldfish characterized by a prominent bubble-like "hood" on the head. The headgrowth or hood may be a prominent growth on the top of the head or may encase the entire face except the mouth.
The Fantail is a goldfish that possesses an egg-shaped body, a high dorsal fin, a long quadruple caudal fin, and no shoulder hump. It is similar to the Ryukin, and is relatively common in western countries. The Fantail Goldfish is the base for many fancy goldfish species.
The lionhead is a hooded variety of fancy goldfish. This fish is the precursor to the ranchu.
Pompoms, pompon or hana fusa are a type of fancy goldfish that have bundles of loose fleshy outgrowths between the nostrils, on each side of the head.
The Ranchu is a hooded variety of goldfish native to Japan. It is referred to as the "king of goldfish" by the Japanese. Maruko more commonly refers to the egg-fish goldfish.
The veiltail is a type of goldfish known for its extra-long, flowing double tail and high sail-like dorsal fin.
The Pearlscale is a spherical-bodied fancy goldfish with doubled finnage similar to the fantail.
The Butterfly telescope goldfish is a variant of telescope goldfish that is distinguished by the butterfly-shaped caudal fins when viewed from above. It is a variety that has only recently been deemed a major lineage by a few published works. The tail conformation is commonly bred into the telescope eye goldfish, the term "butterfly tail" is just short for the many names this variety has such as Butterfly Tail Demekin, Butterfly Tail Black Moor and Top view Telescope (TVT), and many other goldfish varieties.
The Tosakin (土佐金) or curly fantail goldfish is a distinctive breed of goldfish with a large tail fin that spreads out horizontally behind the fish. Though technically a divided tail, the two halves are attached at the center, forming a single fin.
The meteor goldfish is considered the rarest breed of goldfish. They are a tailless form thought to have been developed by goldfish breeders during the late 19th or early 20th century. The meteor goldfish lack a tail fin, but have a well-developed anal fin in its position. The other fins of the meteor goldfish are elongated, and it is a competent swimmer despite its lack of a tail. Few swim like other normal goldfish and few swim straight ahead like a rocket, the rocket swimming being rarer. The meteor is also one of the hardest to breed, as they can be very weak, and in low temperatures sicken easily.
The egg-fish goldfish is a fancy goldfish breed which lacks a dorsal fin and has a pronounced "egg"-shaped body. The egg-fish breed resembles the ranchu, but lacks the "hood" typical of that goldfish; ranchu also tend to have shorter, squatter bodies.
The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have become an invasive pest in parts of North America and Australia.
The jikin goldfish, also known as the peacock tail goldfish, is a breed of wakin-like goldfish developed in Japan.
↑ "The Sacred Fish of Korea," by William T. Innes, Aquarium Highlights, Innes Publishing Co. Philadelphia, 1951
↑ "Fancy Goldfish: A Complete Guide to Care and Collecting" by Dr. Erik L. Johnson, D.V.M. and Richard E. Hess, Weatherhill, Shambala Publications, Inc., 2006. – ISBN0-8348-0448-4
Innes, Dr William T. "The Sacred Fish of Korea," Aquarium Highlights, Innes Publishing Co. Philadelphia, 1951.
Innes, Dr. William T. Goldfish Varieties and Tropical Aquarium Fishes, 9th Edition, Innes Publishing Co, Philadelphia, 1926.
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