Celestial Eye

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Celestail eye goldfish

Country of origin
?
Type
Fantailed
Breed standards
BAS

Celestial Goldfish (scientific name Carassius auratus) is a fancy goldfish variety that first appeared in the 18th century. At the time it was kept as an 'exotic species' in fish bowls. They are the result of 600 years of selectively breeding goldfish, and do not grow to the usual size of fancy varieties.

When the fry hatch they have normal eyes but over a matter of time these become bigger and then upturn. From above it appears as if they are looking up at you. Because of their limited eyesight they do not compete well for food, and so are best kept with their own kind, or with bubble eyes who have a similar problem.

When buying fish tank decor, fish owners should take their Celestials' delicate eyes into consideration. Ideally the tank should have a layer of gravel with some fine plants (not plastic, and no plastic figurines), and ideally there should be no internal filter as this can damage their eye tissue. Although much hardier than most tropical species, Celestials are very delicate compared to most goldfish. The temperature must not drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit for long periods as they will not tolerate it. They can live very long lives if properly tended.

One of the smaller varieties of fancy goldfish, Celestials rarely grow beyond 5 inches.