BRISTOL AQUARISTS' SOCIETY

GOLDFISH COLOUR TYPES

This table of goldfish colour types (published in January 2014) has been produced jointly by breeders in BAS, GSGB and GFSA (see Useful Links), working in cooperation.

You are advised to read this table in conjunction with our main section on goldfish colour in Background Information about Goldfish.

Guanine Erythrophores partly present Xanthophores Guanine present Guanine absent (containing (nacreous Melanophores (containing (containing Varieties in Colour type Appearance (silvery, reflective (transparent, matt carotenids and Breeding outcomes [dull mother- melanin: black pigment) carotenids: yellow which seen scales) scales) pteridines: red of-pearl] pigment) pigment) scales) Brown upper body surface (adaptive for camouflage when Well-developed guanine viewed from above) and silvery- (silvery) layer in the Wild type Wild type x wild type = Wild type N/A Abundant grey flanks (adaptive for skin, giving fully goldfish 100% wild type camouflage when seen from the reflective scales sides and below) When melanophores are absent (as a Yellow metallic x yellow Gold, Present in fry and juveniles; result of genetic mutation), the fish is metallic = 100% metallic. orange or fades during first year as N/A gold, orange or yellow, depending upon Mainly yellow but red, yellow Metallic fish may be either all melanophores are gradually the position and number of erythrophores orange, gold and whites metallic the same colour (self-coloured), lost as fish mature into the range of colours being red, adults. In some individuals and xanthophores present can appear orange, yellow, bronze/brown black persists locally into Goldfish with red Metallic x metallic = and black, or a mix of colours adulthood, giving a colouration have 100% metallic. Depth of All singletails Red metallic (variegated), the colours being as N/A variegated appearance abundant Absent colour (red, gold, orange) All twintails before with the addition of silver including areas of black, as erythrophores can be influenced by Well-developed guanine except the and arranged in a pleasing seen in pandas. present husbandry, including diet (silvery) layer in the western (dorsal- pattern similar on each side. skin, giving fully less) pompon, Whites are normally a Metallic fish have reflective reflective scales but taking a by-product from scales owing to the guanine layer special colour spawnings of coloured present in the skin; pigment cells form in the jikin metallics but presumably are on the surface of the skin and pure white x pure white = White colours appear as burnished N/A Absent (white goldfish have no pigment cells) 100% pure whites (but metallic metal on the body and should be not tested). Generally, spread throughout the fish white is not regarded as a including the fins. desirable colour and therefore pure white strains are unknown.

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Guanine Erythrophores partly present Xanthophores Guanine present Guanine absent (containing (nacreous Melanophores (containing (containing Varieties in Colour type Appearance (silvery, reflective (transparent, matt carotenids and Breeding outcomes [dull mother- melanin: black pigment) carotenids: yellow which seen scales) scales) pteridines: red of-pearl] pigment) pigment) scales) Metallic black Metallic black x metallic appearance if guanine is black = 100% metallics. Broadtail moor Black goldfish have abundant present. Metallic fish Some will decolour to Rare; available as black mock metallics / Oriental moor Black melanophores lying close to the with less abundant Present Absent black but other metallic bluebellies. Panda skin melanophores are grey, colours, both self and (variegated) although this is often variegated, can be marketed as 'blue'. produced. Calico fish have a varying pattern of a few fully reflective scales (guanine present) and mostly matt scales (guanine absent) and nacreous scales Completely transparent (guanine partly present). In nacreous/matt fish, when Calico x calico = scales (often in the past Where matt scales are present, there are very few metallics, calicos and mistakenly termed the following effects are seen: Translucent, melanophores and these are Present in varying proportions giving an matts normally in the Fully reflective scales, 'scaleless'); transparent ~ if there are no pigment cells mother-of- located deep within the skin infinite range of colour and pattern. All (but rare in proportions of 25%, 50% usually few in number, gill covers reveal the then the body appears pink; pearl (in areas where there are no Colours vary in appearance according to the jikin, wakin, and 25%, but it is often Calico and fully reflective gill deep mauve-red colour ~ if pigment cells are present at appearance to overlying xanthophores or the positioning of the pigments in the tosakin and difficult to segregate all covers and irises (termed of the gills underneath; depth within the skin then the scales and erythrophores), the apparent skin and the presence or absence of celestial) calicos and matts by sight 'irised eyes' by breeders) transparent irises take melanophores appear to give a colouration colour to the observer is pale guanine (see Appearance, left). and breeding tests may the colour of local background blue colour (rather blue. This background pale be required to ensure pigmentation, often than black) and other colours blue colour is highly prized. correct identification black appear more subtle including violet, grey and brown; ~ if pigment cells are present on the surface then matt (rather than reflective) colours are seen. As above (calico), except Bristol that Bristol shubunkin shubunkin strains carry mock London A balance of colours and reflective properties with an overall blue background is regarded as the ideal calico combination, and has a special term: shubunkin (which means red metallic genes and mock Shubunkin shubunkin brocade in Japanese, the name coming from the overall red-on-blue colour pattern). The term seems to be used for singletail fish only. metallics and pseudo- Japanese matts are produced as ('comet') well as normal metallics, shubunkin calicos and matts Pinkie matt x pinkie matt When there is no pigmentation at = 100% pinkie matts but all, under transparent scales the Pink body colour shows Pinks produced a lethal gene may be Pink body appears pink. Such 'pinkies' N/A through transparent Absent when breeding present here, hatch rates are generally considered to be of scales calico fish are generally low and no ornamental quality. very few offspring live to maturity

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Guanine Erythrophores partly present Xanthophores Guanine present Guanine absent (containing (nacreous Melanophores (containing (containing Varieties in Colour type Appearance (silvery, reflective (transparent, matt carotenids and Breeding outcomes [dull mother- melanin: black pigment) carotenids: yellow which seen scales) scales) pteridines: red of-pearl] pigment) pigment) scales) Melanophores mixed with xanthophores all over the body surface (as distinct from the wild-type pigment distribution) Chocolate give different hues of bronze and orandas iron, including chocolate brown. Typical burnished Present in varying Bronzes Bronze x bronze = 100% Bronze N/A Present in varying amounts Absent Some (such as chocolate metallic appearance amounts produced when bronze orandas) are sought after; others breeding calico ('bronzes') are produced when fish breeding calico fish and are generally considered to be of no ornamental quality. Rarely seen but in theory could Normally as pink (above), but occur in any Matt exceptionally matts with calico N/A Transparent scales Present in varying amounts Matt x matt = 100% matt variety which colouring are produced has a calico form Pseudo-matt x pseudo- Mainly Bristol Erroneously referred to as matt is said to produce Pseudomatt N/A Transparent scales Present in varying amounts shubunkins and coloured matts. Calico coloured. mock metallic, calico and veiltails pseudo-matt Visually indistinguishable from Camelot Coloured calicos. Some shubunkins Coloured matt x coloured Some fully reflective Some fully transparent Matt and The midnight is initially a calico translucent Present in varying amounts (these possess matt = 100% coloured scales scales Midnight coloured matt but as the fish age scales the full range of matt the colour turns black. calico colours) Mock metallic x mock metallic = 100% mock Some fully reflective metallic. scales. Area covered by Bluebelly x bluebelly = guanine on mock 100% bluebelly. Bluebelly Bluebellies can be any metallic Some metallics often increases Some fully transparent Mainly Mock metallic x and Mock colour. Mock metallics are translucent Present in varying amounts with age and can make scales singletails bluebelly = 100% mock Metallic generally uncoloured (wild type). scales them virtually metallic / bluebelly. indistinguishable from (They seem to combine, normal metallics. suggesting that they are genetically very similar, possibly the same).

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