Lionhead Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus)

Lionhead Goldfish is one of the more popular and well-known Goldfish varieties kept in the aquarium hobby. These Goldfish are a very sociable species and thrive within a community. These Goldfish are not only excellent community fish, but they are also super scavengers. Therefore, it is unnecessary to add other scavengers or other bottom feeders to the aquarium when you have Goldfish.

The Lionhead Goldfish is considered a rather delicate fish with a lower tolerance for pollution and requires plenty of space and reasonable care; therefore, they are not recommended for beginner aquarists.

When choosing tankmates, you should remember the physical traits of the Lionhead Goldfish. Like the Celestial Goldfish and the Telescope Goldfish, the Lionhead can be visually handicapped. Its swimming ability is burdened by its rounded body and lack of a stabilising dorsal fin. You can also see this trait in the Water-Bubble Eye Goldfish.

While the Lionhead Goldfish cannot easily compete for food with fast-swimming types of Goldfish, these similarly handicapped varieties can make great companions. Unfortunately, several elongated Goldfish varieties, such as the Comet Goldfish, Shubunkin and the Common Goldfish, do not make good companions for the Lionhead Goldfish because they are fast swimmers and too competitive during feeding time.

A majority of fishkeepers will retain Goldfish in an aquarium with no filtration or heaters. However, when keeping Goldfish, you should provide them with the same filtration, especially biological filtration, that other aquarium residents will enjoy.

Unlike Shubunkins and the Common Goldfish, which have long, slender bodies, the Lionhead is also one of the egg-shaped or more rounded fancy Goldfish. The unique raspberry or lion's mane appearance of the Chinese Lionhead Goldfish has given this species its common name, 'Lionhead' Goldfish. In addition, the amount of head growth varies for each individual. For some, the broadhead, except for its eyes, nostrils and mouth, can become completely covered with fleshy growth, which can sometimes hinder its vision. Other Lionhead Goldfish will develop hardly any head growth at all.

The Lionhead Goldfish have short and stubby bodies, and they possess a double anal fin and a double caudal fin. Though pretty rare, there is also a long-finned Lionhead variety. These Goldfish are available in various colours, including orange, red, blue, chocolate, and black. They can also be calico, bi-coloured in red and white or red and black, or tri-coloured in white, red and black. A red-capped variety has a white body and a bright redhead.

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Feeding

In the home aquarium, the Lionhead Goldfish will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.

Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.

It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.

This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.