Oranda

Looks how to spot one

Scaled fish, metallic or matte scales, twin (divided) tail and paired anal fins, with a fleshy head growth (wen or hood)

The oranda is a long, deep-bodied twin-tailed goldfish best known for its hood, a soft, bumpy growth that looks a little like a raspberry. On a well-developed fish the hood covers the top of the head and often the cheeks while leaving the eyes and mouth clear. It has a dorsal fin and a full, four-lobed tail with a slight fork that fans out wide when the fish pauses. Japanese long-bodied lines (nagate) and shorter, rounder Chinese lines are both kept.152

Personality what they are like

A calm, gentle and unhurried fish that gets along well with other goldfish. Like goldfish in general, orandas soon learn their feeding routine and will gather at the front of the tank when they expect food.136

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. Orandas swim at a relaxed pace, so they enjoy open swimming room and gentle water movement rather than a strong current.78

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Keep in a filtered aquarium (never a bowl) with weekly partial water changes of about 30%, using dechlorinated water at the same temperature. Orandas are comfortable from about 17 to 28 C and prefer not to be kept very cold; general goldfish guidance gives 10 to 21 C with 20 to 22 C as a sweet spot, and pH about 6 to 8. Choose smooth decorations and plants so the soft hood is not scraped.193108

Home where they are happiest

Plan for at least 60 litres of water per goldfish, with more being better; FishBase suggests a tank at least 100 cm long for a group. Good mechanical and biological filtration and a large water surface for oxygen are important. No heater is normally needed indoors.9103

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivores. Offer a goldfish-specific pellet as the staple (not tropical flakes), which suits their need for less protein and more carbohydrate than many fish foods. Add chopped vegetables such as peas or spinach, and small amounts of daphnia or brine shrimp as treats. Feed two or three small meals a day, giving only what is eaten within two to five minutes, because goldfish will keep eating if food is offered.63

Company who they like around

Sources differ. The RSPCA notes goldfish can live alone, while other sources describe them as sociable fish that shoal, and FishBase suggests aquarium groups of five or more. They are very peaceful with each other. Keep them with other slow, twin-tailed fancy goldfish rather than fast single-tailed types, so everyone gets a fair share at feeding time.7310

The story where it all began

The oranda is a Chinese creation, one of the many fancy forms bred from the goldfish, whose domestication in China goes back over a thousand years. Like other twin-tailed fancy goldfish, it traces back to the wakin-type double-tailed fish. It reached Japan during the Kansei era of the Edo period, travelling from China via the Ryukyu Islands to the port of Nagasaki, possibly through the Dutch trading post at Dejima. In Japan it was named oranda shishigashira, 'Dutch lion head', because foreign imports were then commonly called Dutch and the hooded head looked like a lion's mane. Japanese breeders kept a longer-bodied line, and later shorter, rounder 'balloon' orandas arrived from China. Regional types also grew up, such as the large Jumbo Oranda of Kumamoto and the calico Azuma Nishiki. In Britain the Goldfish Society of Great Britain, founded in 1948, lists the oranda among its standard varieties.123411512

Recognised by the official bits

Goldfish Society of Great Britain (GSGB)

Listed among the society's standard fancy goldfish varieties, with a described standard for the hood, finnage and the Redcap colour form5

IUCN Red List

Parent species Carassius auratus assessed as Least Concern (2010)10