Lionhead Goldfish Carassius auratus species

Common Name Lionhead Goldfish

Scientific Name Carassius auratus species

Family Cyprinidae

Community Goldfish

Class Goldfish

Temperature 78ºF

Swimming Range Bottom/Middle

Adult Length 6-8 inches

Feeding Habits Fresh spinach, zucchini, peas and lettuce. Frozen plankton, vegetable diet, daphnia, beef heart, brine shrimp, glass worms and blood worms. Tablet and Pellet foods also accepted. Live plants will be eaten, so use as a food source.

Compatibility A peaceful and schooling fish.

Habitat China: Moderately decorated with rocks, plastic plants and driftwood.

Breeding During the spawning season the male will have tubercles (small white dots, not to be confused with the disease ich) on their head, pectoral fins and gill covers. Thousands of eggs are produced and the parents are veracious egg eaters and must be removed immediately after spawning.

Additional Comments The Lionhead is one of the more exotic goldfish. They have an egg shaped body and no dorsal fin. The fins are short and the caudal are divided. The head is covered with a raspberry - like headgrowth or Wen. The Wen grows slowly, taking as much as 3 years to complete . If kept with other types of goldfish, care is needed to be sure they are eating. Lionheads are poor swimmers and can not compete with normally finned fish for food. Average life span is 8-15 years.