The Most Common Types of Goldfish

Two of the most common types of goldfish found in pet stores, are the Comet, a variety of Shubunkins, and the Wakin goldfish.

The Comet is a favorite of people with outdoor ponds. It's extremely hardy in colder waters, and is known to over-winter well, if the pond has proper water circulation and the appropriate depth for the temperatures. In fact, in the old days, when goldfish were often the prize at county fairs, it was the Comet that went home with many children. Unfortunately, not all fish were appreciated, and at one time back in the 1950s and 60s, some towns and cities found themselves with lakes and private ponds that had been populated with Comets that were dumped there by fairs or owners. An unusual note from this era, was that the tank-raised fish evolved in a more natural environment, and tended to revert back to type, or the body size of their ancestors, which were carp.

Thought to have been a cultivated variety of either Europe or North America, the Comet is a long, slender-bodied fish with a single forked tail, that in the Far East is referred to as a Swallow tail. They are a bright, metallic fish, and add color and flash to an aquarium. Being hardy, Comets are an excellent choice for the novice fish owner.

The other common variety is the Wakin. Perhaps a "middle of the road" (or aquarium) goldfish, physically its appearance falls between that of the plain Comet, and the fancier, multi-finned varieties.

Its body is deeper and thicker than the Comet's, and the tail is fan-shaped. It too is a metallic fish that comes in a bright combination of colors, and also grows large. They make good companion fish for Comets in your pond.

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