Sarasa Comet

Looks how to spot one

Scaled fish with metallic scales and a single, long, deeply forked tail

A slim, streamlined goldfish with a single tail that is long and deeply forked, ending in pointed tips that spread like an open pair of scissors. The body is shallower than a common goldfish. The sarasa colouring is a crisp mix of bright red and clean white, often arranged in bold patches much like a red-and-white koi.132

Personality what they are like

Lively, playful and curious. Comets like to dash back and forth and are peaceful with other fish of similar size and speed.14

Daily activity how busy a day looks

High. A quick, energetic swimmer that needs long, open swimming space; it is very much at home in a garden pond.13

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

A coldwater fish that normally needs no heater; about 16 to 21 C suits single-tailed goldfish, and pH guidance ranges from 6.0 to 8.0 (FishBase) to 7.0 to 8.4 (Aqueon). Good filtration and regular partial water changes with dechlorinated water are part of routine care.456

Home where they are happiest

Plenty of room: about 75 litres (20 US gallons) per adult is a common guideline, and FishBase gives a minimum tank length of 100 cm for the species. Fast single-tailed goldfish do especially well in a well-kept garden pond once mature, and in temperate climates they can stay outdoors all year.457

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivores. Offer a goldfish-specific pellet as the staple, which suits their need for less protein and more carbohydrate than many fish foods. Add chopped vegetables such as peas or spinach and small amounts of daphnia or brine shrimp as treats. Feed two or three small meals a day, giving only what is eaten within two to five minutes.87

Company who they like around

Sociable and peaceful with similar-sized fish; FishBase suggests groups of five or more goldfish. Best kept with other fast, single-tailed goldfish such as common goldfish, comets and shubunkins, or in a pond, rather than with slow fancy twin-tailed types.549

The story where it all began

The comet goldfish first turned up in the 1880s in the ponds of the U.S. Government Fish Commission in Washington, D.C., and Hugo Mulertt went on to breed and popularise it. The red-and-white sarasa form is described as coming from China, though its name is Japanese, and it became one of the best-loved comet colours for ponds.1

Recognised by the official bits

Goldfish Society of Great Britain (GSGB)

The comet is one of the society's standard varieties; red-and-white sarasa fish fall under the variegated metallic colouring allowed for comets2

Bristol Aquarists' Society / goldfish-types.info

Comet standard: slender body about 35% as deep as long, single deeply forked tail with pointed lobes, minimum body length 7.5 cm; metallic fish may be self-coloured or variegated3