The Ranchu goldfish is regarded as the "King of Goldfish" particularly in Japan, it's official home.
The Ranchu is a goldfish by all scientific regards, but looks like an exotic tropical fish with its coloring and unique body shape.
They have an arched back that doesn't have a dorsal fin, along with a prominent head, belly and variety of colors.
The "King" looks amazing when the light is low, as you can see so many different contours on their relatively small, egg-shaped body.
The Bodybuilder of Fish An interesting feature of the Ranchu's growth is that the proportions and contour of their head can take up to an entire year to fully develop and their entire body can reach nearly 8 inches in an aquarium environment.
They are well-developed genetically and relatively healthy when compared with other goldfish.
They're also compared to Sumo wrestlers in their native Japan, due of course to their large size.
The Proud King The "King of Goldfish" is very aware of it's status: It might be from years of being adorned and revered, or simply the fish's nature.
The Ranchu is a very slow, methodical swimmer that is in no hurry to get anywhere.
Most owners that like fish contact frequently touch and pat their well-muscled fish.
The main precaution to consider with this particular variety is that they have an unusual propensity to swallow lots of air which makes them float and flip over -- sometimes resulting in death.
Experience has taught us to feed them pellets that sink, rather than floating fish flakes.
The burly King has a larger appetite than its goldfish brothers anyhow.
$ Price $ It's not uncommon to pay just under, or well over $100 USD for this exotic, highly-regarded fish.
There isn't a single goldfish that is any more popular in fish shows and competitions.
Many fish lovers will import them from breeders in Japan to ensure they get the highest quality they can.