Ryukin

{{Short description|Breed of goldfish}} {{Infobox goldfish breed | name = ''Ryūkin'' | image = Goldfish Ryukin.jpg | country = China<ref name=maty>{{cite book|last=Matsui|first=Yoshiichi|title=Goldfish guide|year=1981|publisher=T.F.H. Publications|location=Neptune, NJ|isbn=978-0-87666-545-9|pages=51|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vxc7AQAAIAAJ&q=Ryukin+origin|edition=2nd|author2=Betts, L.C. }}</ref> | type = Other tailed | aga = | bas = https://www.goldfish-types.info/goldfish-types/ryukin/ryukin.htm }}

The {{Nihongo|'''''Ryūkin'''''|琉金|}} is a short deep-bodied fancy goldfish with a characteristic hump in the shoulder region.<ref name=Andrews>Andrews, Chris, Dr. An Interpet Guide to Fancy Goldfish, Interpet Publishing, 2002. - {{ISBN|1-902389-64-6}}</ref><ref name=Johnson>Johnson, Erik L., Dr. D.V.M. and Richard E. Hess. Fancy Goldfish: A Complete Guide to Care and Collecting, Weatherhill, Shambala Publications, Inc., 2006. - {{ISBN|0-8348-0448-4}}</ref> It was developed in China.

==Description== thumb|Orange and white ''ryūkin'' with black specks. This is a form of calico, called a ''sakura''. The ''ryūkin'' is a hardy and attractive variety of goldfish with a pointed head and has a pronounced hump on the back behind the head. It may be long-finned or short-finned with either a triple or quadruple tail. The dorsal fin is high while the caudal fin is often twice as long as the body. The caudal fin may also have three or four lobes.<ref name=Andrews/><ref name=Johnson/>

''Ryūkin'' come in deep-red, red-and-white, white, silver, blue, black, orange, lavender grey, iron and calico coloration.<ref name=Andrews/><ref name=Johnson/>

The ''ryūkin'' is a fine aquarium fish that can reach up to 8 inches (21 centimeters) in length. Some ryukins are reported to grow up to 10 inches in large aquariums and commercial ponds.<ref name=Andrews/><ref name=Johnson/>

==History and origins== The ''Ryūkin'' is Chinese in origin. It is unknown when the ''ryūkin'' was bred but it is most likely a mutation of the ''Wakin''.<ref>[http://www.samurai-goldfish.net/kingyocatalog/ryukin.html About the Ryukin], retrieved on: 24 Aug 2018</ref><ref name=maty/> It has been so named because it was said to have arrived in Japan through the Ryukyu Islands, now Okinawa Prefecture, which lies between Taiwan and Japan. There were historical references that the existence of ryukins dates back to 1833, but it is said to have arrived in Japan in the 1770s. Early Japanese literature refers to the ryukin as the '''onaga''' (longtail) or the '''nagasaki''' goldfish. In English texts, they are also referred to as the '''Japanese ribbontail''', the '''fringetail''', the '''fantail''' or the '''veiltail'''.<ref name=Johnson/>

==Variants== thumb|''Ryūkin'' goldfish, Plate XIX in: ''Goldfish and Their Culture in Japan'', by Shinnosuke Matsubara *'''Yamagata kingyo''' (yamagata goldfish) or '''sabao''' (mackerel tail) or '''tamasaba''' - a hardy single-tailed variety of the ryukin that has been developed in the Yamagata Prefecture of Northern Japan.<ref name=Johnson/> *'''Tetsu onaga''' (iron-colored longtail) - a rare iron-colored variety of the ryukin.<ref name=Johnson/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.goldfish-types.info/goldfish-types/ryukin/ryukin.htm Bristol-Aquarists.org] * [http://www.samurai-goldfish.net/kingyocatalog/ryukin.html Varieties of Goldfish -About Ryukin] * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040818052039/http://kokosgoldfish.com/RYUKINM.html The Ryukin, Koko's Goldfish World, KokosGoldfish.com]}}, retrieved on: 4 June 2007. * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20021215064225/http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/ftypes.html Types of Goldfish, Koko's Goldfish World, KokosGoldfish.com]}}, retrieved on: 4 June 2007.