- Wen肉瘤
- The fleshy head growth. Also called the hood.
- Funtanフンタン
- Wen on the cheeks, either side of the mouth. Prized in Japanese lines.
- Ozutsu尾筒
- The tail joint or peduncle. Its thickness and angle set how the tail lies.
- Sarasa更紗
- Red-and-white pattern.
- Su-aka素赤
- Solid red or orange.
- Tosai / Nisai / Oya当歳・二歳・親
- First-year, second-year, and adult fish.
- Uwami上見
- Top view. The way Japanese ranchu are judged.
- Yokomi横見
- Side view. The way Thai and Chinese ranchu are judged.
- Uno-kei宇野系
- A famous Japanese lineage known for a delicate, refined head and body.
- Green water青水
- Water with suspended algae, used by breeders to buffer conditions and improve color.
- Banzuke番付
- The ranked results list at a Japanese show, laid out like a sumo tournament sheet.
- Cycled
- A filter with enough bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrate. Non-negotiable.