How difficult is it to keep Shonai Goldfish?

Beginner. This is a beginner-friendly species. No special equipment or experience is required, and it can be kept successfully with basic care setup.

What is the ideal temperature for Shonai Goldfish?

The ideal temperature for Shonai Goldfish is 15〜28℃. Avoid sudden temperature changes and maintain a stable environment.

What should I feed Shonai Goldfish?

Shonai Goldfish feeds on: Prepared foods, frozen bloodworms. Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.

What is the typical price for Shonai Goldfish?

The price of Shonai Goldfish varies significantly depending on variety, size, and individual quality. Check our market price page for the latest pricing information.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Shonai Goldfish

Beginner

Carassius auratus

A local variety from the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture. It has a long wakin-type body with a single tail, and as it matures the fins lengthen and droop, earning it the name furisode goldfish.

Difficulty

Beginner

Temperature

15〜28℃

Diet

Prepared foods, frozen bloodworms

About

The shonai goldfish is a local variety of the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture, and with the tsugaru nishiki one of the two native breeds of the Tohoku area. Abe Jirobei began breeding goldfish in 1874, and three generations over some fifty years brought the line to a fixed form in 1923. The Abe line began from a native fish crossed with the oranda and the Ito line from the wakin crossed with the ryukin; the former is deep red with a pointed tail, the latter paler with a longer tail. Both have the long wakin-type body and a single tail, resembling the comet though less slender and with less rigid finnage. The tail lengthens year by year, sometimes to more than twice the body length, and droops with age, whence the name furisode goldfish. Bred in a windswept northern district it is hardy in cold, but forcing rapid growth spoils its proper form.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Temperature & humidity for the Shonai Goldfish

The ideal temperature for the Shonai Goldfish is 15〜28℃.

Basic Info

Origin

Shonai region, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

Temperature

15〜28℃

Diet

Prepared foods, frozen bloodworms

Care Guide

Lighting

It shows well from the side or above and needs no special lighting; enough to reveal how the long tail hangs is sufficient.

Care Specifications

pH: 6–8
Hardness (GH): 5–19 dGH
Water Temp.: 15–28℃

PeacefulGroupBreeding: Moderate

Sources: FishBase (Carassius auratus) / Keihan Nishikigoi Center: goldfish water management / Kingyo Hitosuji: Wakin

Morphs (Varieties)

Goldfish varieties are established by fixing mutations and by selective breeding, and traits of body form, tail form, scale type, colour and head growth are all carried forward as line-bred selections. No primary source identifying loci or dominance for individual traits could be found, so inheritance is recorded only as line-bred.

Line-bredEstablished by selective line breeding.

Wakin-type long bodySingle (funa) tailElongated drooping fins (furisode)Ippon-hi red marking

Sources: Kingyo Hitosuji: Wakin

A curated selection of notable morphs. Inheritance modes are a breeding-planning guide; actual appearance varies with combos.