Selective breeding over centuries has produced several color variations, some of them far removed from the "golden" color of the originally domesticated fish. There are also different body shapes, fin and eye configurations. Some extreme versions of the goldfish need to be kept in an aquarium — they are much less hardy than varieties closer to the "wild" original. However, some variations are hardier, such as the Shubunkin.
In Traditional Chinese goldfish keeping, goldfish are classified into 4 main types. These classifications are not commonly used in the west:
Dragon Eye - Goldfish with extended eyes, e.g. Moors (Black & Butterfly), Bubble Eye, and Telescopic Eye. In the above picture is an example of a telescopic eye, in this case, a Broadtail Moor.
Egg - Goldfish without a dorsal fin. e.g. Lionhead (note that a bubble eye without a dorsal fin belongs to this group) . In the above picture is a fine example of an eggfish, in this case, a Red & White Eggfish.
Wen - Goldfish with dorsal fin and a fancy tail. e.g. Veiltail ("wen" is also the name of the characteristic headgrowth on such strains as Oranda, Ranchu and Lionhead) . In the above picture is a fine example of a, Orange & White Ranchu. 
Ce (may also be called "grass") - Goldfish without anything fancy. This is the type that is usually used in Japanese carnivals, especially for "goldfish scoops". Jikin and wakin - goldfish with double tails, but with the body shapes of comets. The above picture is an example of a Comet, a long finned variety of the Common Goldfish.
However, this classification may need to be updated as the popular Ryukin variant does not seem to fit within any of the 4 main types.
Sources:
http://www.chinagoldfish.com/english/index.htm
1 comment:
Interesting to know.
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