Jikin goldfish – Carassius auratus
Species name: Carassius auratus
Common names: Jikin goldfish
Family: Cyprinidae
Order: Cypriniformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 9 inch (25 cm)
Minimum tank size: 50 gallon for an adult specimen
Hardiness: Easy to medium
Aggressiveness: May nip at fins. Will eat fish that can fit in it’s mouth.
Distribution: Central Asia, China, Japan
Diet: Omnivore. In the wild, they feed on a wide range of food including plants, small crustaceans, insects, and detritus.
In captivity, they will accept most aquarium food including pellets, flakes, and live prey such as worms.
Additional information:
Despite being one of the most beautiful fish for the freshwater aquarium the jikin goldfish is the rarest and this stunning creature is extremely sought after by aquarists everywhere. A member of the carp family the species was bred from the wakin goldfish in the Nagoya region of Japan more than 100 years ago and is a designated ‘national treasure’ of the country.
Also known as the peacock-tail goldfish its most outstanding feature is its caudal fin (tail), which has four lobes and which, when the fish is viewed from behind, form an ‘X.’ It has a short, slim, slightly oval-shaped body, similar to that of the common goldfish, and an indented dorsal fin. The body of the jikin goldfish is a dazzling white color and its lips, gill covers and fins, including its spectacular caudal fin, are bright red. However, as with all goldfish there are variants of the species and some fish are born with occasional red scales on the body. But perfect white fish are so highly prized by aquarists, and are so difficult to breed, that when these red-scaled variants are only a few months old the red scales are painstakingly removed with tweezers or are bleached using oxalic acid. Both of these methods are safe and leave the fish unharmed.
Goldfish are notoriously difficult to sex and the jikin is no exception, but it is possible to tell the difference between male and female fish when they are roughly 4 inches/10 centimeters in length and have reached sexual maturity. Between May and early July, when the fish are engaged in courtship, females will become heavy with eggs and their male counterparts will develop white nodules around the head and gill area. These nodules are called breeding tubercles and they can look like white-spot except that they will not spread out beyond the head area.
An aquarium with a minimum capacity volume of 50 gallon is needed to house the jikin goldfish as adult specimens will grow to 9 inches (25 centimeters) in length. It is a hardy fish but is less cold-tolerant than many other species of goldfish and prefers water with a constant temperature of 25°C (degrees Celsius), and a pH value between 6.5 and 8.5. The jikin is suitable for a ‘community tank’ where it will happily mix with most other species of goldfish. However, it is a strong swimmer and should not be placed in an aquarium with less powerful fish such as the telescope-eye goldfish or the bubble-eye goldfish as these will struggle to compete with the jikin for food. Also, the jikin goldfish favors an aquarium which has lots of aquatic plants where it can shelter.
The jikin is not choosey when it comes to diet and will eat any of the dried goldfish foods, such as flakes or pellets, that are available in most good aquarium fish stockists. It will also devour frozen foods such as bloodworm and adding some finely chopped vegetables such as cucumber or lettuce to the fish’s diet will help it to thrive and improve its color.
Lastly, the jikin is a charming, colorful goldfish that will add flair to any aquarium. But panache costs money. A reasonable quality jikin goldfish will cost between $60 – $120.
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