The comet or comet-tailed goldfish is a single-tailed

goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') 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 bec ...

bred in the United States. It is similar to the

common goldfish The common goldfish is a breed of goldfish with no other differences from its living ancestor, other than its color and shape. Goldfish are a form of domesticated wild carp and are a close relative of koi. Most varieties of fancy goldfish we ...

, 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."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 -

Origins

The comet-tailed goldfish breed was developed in the United States from the

by Hugo Mulertt, a government worker, in the 1880s. The comet goldfish was first seen in the ponds of the U.S. Government Fish Commission in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

"An Interpet Guide to Fancy Goldfish" by Dr. Chris Andrews, Interpet Publishing, 2002. - Mulertt later became a propagator of goldfish and an author of books on goldfish. He introduced the comet onto the fish-keeping market in quantity."Fancy That! - Goldfish Keeping: 'Best Pond Pick for 1999 - The Comet'" by Vivian McCord, (Cody, Wyoming), from Helen Nash's Pond & Garden "Creating Backyard Heavens" Magazine (Publisher: Pond & Garden, Inc., 1999), Vol. 1, Issue 3, page 12

Description

The comet goldfish can be distinguished from the

by its long, single and deeply forked tail fin. Comets with yellow, orange, red, white, and red-and-white coloration are common. The red coloration mainly appears on the tailfin and dorsal fin, but can also appear on the pelvic fin. The comet is more active than most other goldfish breeds. It is not unusual to see a comet dashing back and forth in its tank, racing around in a playful manner. Due to the comet's hardy and active nature, and the relative ease in caring for them, they are the breed best suited to ponds and outdoor pools. They are often kept with

koi or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp ('' Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' ke ...

in outdoor ponds. Comets have a natural life span of 5 to 14 years and may live even longer in optimal conditions.Keeping Comet Goldfish
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Variants

* Sarasa comets are characterized by their red-and-white coloration and resemble the

Kōhaku Kōhaku is a Japanese word that can mean one of several things depending on the Kanji used. Examples: *紅白: means "red and white." *黄白: means "gold and silver" or "yellow and white." Kōhaku (紅白) may refer to: * Kōhaku maku, a red an ...

color pattern in

. Sarasa Comets have long flowing fins and are very hardy fish. Although the Sarasa Comet is originally from China, the word 'sarasa' is of Japanese origin. * The Tancho single-tail is similar to the comet-tail but it has a silver-colored body and fins with a single red patch on the head.

Goldfish farming

Goldfish are commonly bred on fish farms in many parts of the world. In most instances, the fish produced are offered for sale to aquarists. However, in North America, there is a demand for goldfish used as bait or "feeder fish" to other fish by anglers. Due to the relatively inexpensive prices of comet goldfish, they may also be used as prizes in carnivals or other places of entertainment.

References

External links

Varieties of Goldfish in Japan
{{Goldfish breeds