Tosakin

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Tosakin goldfish
Country of origin
Japan
Type
Fantailed
Breed standards
Johnson & Hess (see references)

The Tosakin or curly fantail goldfish is a Japanese variety of goldfish rarely seen in the United States.[1] It is also known as the peacock tail goldfish, and may have originally been developed from ryukins.[2]

Contents

[edit] Description

Although it has a body shaped like that of the Ryukin, its undivided tail fin opens and spreads so flat and wide horizontally causing the front ends to flip under at the front once and even twice. The Tosakin is a weak and clumsy swimmer (attributed to inbreeding), thus requires special care and has to be kept in shallow water with no current. It is thought to be very susceptible to water chemistry changes. A year-old Tosakin is regarded as the weakest.[1]

The Tosakin is best viewed from above. Seen from above, with its pointed head and deep, round trunk, the tail is obviously a flat half circle that curls under once or twice at the front edge. Tosakins come in red, red and white, iron black and calico colors, and grows up to medium size. Breeder Tosakins are described to be quite slow to spawn but can be artificially spawned if necessary.[1]

[edit] Origins

The Tosakins were first developed by a lower-ranking samurai in the Tosa fief (now Kochi Prefecture), in Shikoku, Japan and probably did not reach other parts of Japan until the mid-twentieth century.[1]

U.S. air attacks on Kochi during World War II in 1945 and an earthquake in 1946 were believed to have wiped out the Tosakin variety. However, a Japanese hobbyist, who after losing all his fish, scoured the area and found six fish (2 breeders and 4 two-year olds) at a local restaurant. After exchanging the fish with a big bottle of sweet-potato vodka (Japanese currency became worthless during and after World War II), the hobbyist was able to successfully revive the Tosakins in Kochi then reached Tokyo in 1971 where a small group of young and avid enthusiasts painstakingly propagated and popularized the variety. In 1969, the Japanese government declared the Tosakin a Tennen Kinenbitsu or Natural Treasure of Kochi Prefecture. The Tosakin Preservation Society was founded a few years later.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Johnson, Dr. Erik L. and Richard E. Hess. Fancy Goldfish: A Complete Guide to Care and Collecting, Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2001. - ISBN 0-8348-0448-4
  2. ^ Andrews, Dr. Chris. An Interpet Guide to Fancy Goldfish, Interpet Publishing, 2002 - ISBN 1-902389-64-6

[edit] See also

Main article: Goldfish


Breeds of goldfish

Black moor • Bubble eye • Butterfly tail • Celestial eye • Comet • Common • Fantail • Lionchu • Lionhead • Oranda • Panda moor • Pearlscale • Pompom • Ranchu • Ryukin • Shubunkin • Telescope eye • Veiltail