Lionhead Goldfish

Looks how to spot one

Scaled, short-bodied, dorsal-less twin-tailed goldfish with a full hood

A short, deep-bodied goldfish with a fairly straight or gently curved back, short fins and no dorsal fin. Its signature is a thick, bumpy hood that wraps the top of the head, the cheeks and the gill covers, giving a puppy-like face. The double tail should be held out neatly rather than drooping, and the hood takes around a year to come in.13

Personality what they are like

Peaceful and slow-moving. Without a dorsal fin it is not a fast swimmer, so it does best with other gentle fancy goldfish rather than speedy, competitive feeders.12

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Low to moderate. Enjoys calm, open swimming space with gentle water flow.14

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Needs a good filter, regular partial water changes with dechlorinated, temperature-matched water, and routine tests showing zero ammonia and nitrite. Smooth decor and good water quality keep the soft hood looking its best.42

Home where they are happiest

Keep in a filtered aquarium, not a bowl. Aqueon suggests at least 40 litres (10 US gallons) per adult fancy goldfish, while the RSPCA advises at least 60 litres per goldfish, with wider tanks giving more stable water. Fancy goldfish are comfortable at about 20-23 °C (Aqueon gives 68-74 °F), and the RSPCA notes goldfish in general live at 10-21 °C without a heater. A pH of roughly 6.0-8.4 is fine (FishBase gives 6.0-8.0, Aqueon 7.0-8.4).245

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivore. Offer a goldfish flake, granule or sinking pellet once or twice a day, only as much as is eaten in two to three minutes, with frozen or live foods as occasional treats.25

Company who they like around

A sociable fish that likes company; FishBase suggests goldfish in groups of five or more. Pairs well with ranchu, orandas and other slow fancy goldfish.52

The story where it all began

The lionhead was bred in China to call to mind the mythical Chinese lion-dog. It was taken to Japan in the 1600s and 1700s, where breeders reshaped it with a rounder back, a different tail and a smaller hood, which led to the ranchu.1

Recognised by the official bits

Taxonomy

Dorsal-less, twin-tailed fancy variety of the domestic goldfish with a full hood; ancestor of the Japanese ranchu3

IUCN Red List

The parent species Carassius auratus is assessed as Least Concern5