Lionhead Goldfish

Picture all the distinct features that make an oranda goldfish an oranda. Now shrink the dorsal fin and exaggerate the bubblehead, and you will have bred a Lionhead Goldfish. These odd goldfish were bred one thousand years ago in China to look like a mythical creature called a lion dog. Today, people are more familiar with the large mane of the male lion than the frill of the mythical lion dog, so the common name in the West is Lionhead.

Note: Our stock of Lionheads is young and does not have the developed wen seen in the images. The wen develops when they mature.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Lionheads produce a lot of waste, so give them plenty of room and a strong filter. Use smooth decorations and live or silk plants, and keep the water current gentle.

Feeding: Feed small amounts of a quality sinking pellet or flake once or twice a day, only as much as they eat in a couple of minutes. Sinking foods are easier for them to find than floating ones. They also enjoy frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Tankmates: Keep them only with other slow-swimming fancy goldfish, such as telescopes, black moors, celestials, bubble eyes, lionheads and ranchus. Avoid faster goldfish like comets, shubunkins and even lively ryukins, which will outcompete them for food. Also avoid tropical fish and fin-nippers.

Ponds: Lionheads can live in ponds in mild climates, but they are less cold-hardy than comets and shubunkins. Bring them indoors where winters are harsh, and keep them away from fast, aggressive pond fish.

Good to know: With no dorsal fin, they are slow, wobbly swimmers. Keep the water very clean, since the wen (head growth) can trap debris.