Lionhead Goldfish from Rain Garden

Sometimes there is confusion about lionhead and ranchu. Here in Hawaii, the old-time ranchu breeders often refer to their goldfish as lionheads. Some old-time oranda affectionados also call their fish "lionhead". The name 'lionhead' comes from the wen (head growth) covering the head which is reminiscent of a lion's mane. Ranchu, oranda, lionhead and related varieties all have wen growth covering the head. Since neither ranchu nor lionhead have a dorsal fin and both have wen, this is where there is the most confusion.

In general, the wen is larger, more pronounced and develops earlier in the lionhead than in the ranchu. However, the defining characteristic differentiating lionhead from ranchu is not the head growth, but the contour of the back and the angle of the tail. The ranchu has a much more curved dorsal contour and the tail joins the body at an acute angle (less than 90 degrees). The up-turned tail meeting the sloping curve of the back is called the ranchu "tail tuck". The lionhead on the otherhand, has a dorsal contour that is relatively flat and the tail joins the body at an obtuse angle (more than 90 degrees).

Recently, the name 'lionchu' has been coined to describe a goldfish without a dorsal, a pronounced tail tuck like a ranchu and a large wen which wraps around the head like a lionhead.

Every goldfish is different and the individual in the photos is the individual you receive. To order, just send an e-mail to Goldfish@RainGarden.US and let us know the item number to the left of the photos. To the right of the photos, you will see a column with the price of the fish. Farther to the right is a separate column with the shipping cost for one or more fish of that variety and size. We will confirm the shipping cost when responding to your e-mail.

item	click photos for a larger view	variety	size	price	USA flat-rate shipping	inv
5844		lionhead	4.8 inch		shipping $30 for 1 or 2	S-13a 6/0
	WE HAVE RUN OUT OF LIONHEAD BUT ARE GROWING MORE. PLEASE CHECK BACK.
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hibuna	comets	shubunkin
wakin	watonai	jikin
fantail	ryukin	tosakin
oranda	pom pom	side-view ranchu
lionhead	top-view ranchu	shukin
pearlscale	crown pearlscale	telescopes
froghead	celestials	bubble-eye
willow	broadtail & veiltail	home