Shubunkin

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iShubunkin Goldfish

Bristol Shubunkin
©Bristol Aquarists' Society

Conservation status

Secure

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Cyprinidae
Genus:	Carassius
Species:	C. auratus
Subspecies:	C. a. auratus

Trinomial name

Carassius auratus auratus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

A shubunkin is a type of single-tail goldfish with orange, white, black, red, and blue markings, blue being the most desired. Their body shape is like that of the common comet goldfish, Carassius auratus, of which they are a subspecies. Also called speckled goldfish, harlequin goldfish, calico goldfish, and coronation fish, they were developed in Japan about a hundred years ago by crossing calico fantails with comet goldfish to produce a hardy, able swimmer with bright colors.

There are three main types of shubunkin, the Bristol, which has a very large tail with rounded lobes, the London, which has a short rounded lobes, and the Japanese/American, which has a "normal" comet goldfish tail: deeply forked with long narrow lobes. They are a bit smaller than common comets, growing up to about 15 cm long. Like other goldfish, they are social, omnivorous, and can thrive in temperatures down to freezing.

An extremely hardy fish, which along with the Common goldfish, Comet (goldfish), Fantail (goldfish) are ideally suited to beginners.