Ranchu vs lionhead

Same family, different goals

Both fish are dorsal-less, hooded goldfish. The lionhead is the older Chinese form, bred for a big, even head growth that covers the head like a mane. The ranchu is the Japanese refinement of that fish, developed from the late 1800s onward and selected on body outline seen from above rather than on head size.

Four things to look at

• The back. A ranchu has a short body and a deeply curved back that arcs down into the tail. A lionhead's back is longer and straighter, sometimes almost flat.
• The tail angle. The ranchu's tail joint (the peduncle) drops at roughly 45° so the tail sits tucked and low. The lionhead's tail is held higher, closer to the line of the back, and is usually larger.
• The wen. Lionheads carry more head growth and it comes in earlier. Ranchu wen is usually moderate, and the cheek growth on either side of the mouth (funtan) is what Japanese keepers prize.
• The view. A ranchu is meant to be looked at from above, where the body reads as one clean egg shape with a spread tail. A lionhead is judged from the side.

What shops sell

Most "ranchu" in Western pet stores are Thai or Chinese side-view ranchu, which sit between the two: ranchu back curve, but bigger wen and tail than a Japanese fish. That is fine for a pet. It only matters if you want a fish that will develop into the Japanese show shape, in which case you need to buy from a breeder who works with Japanese lines and can tell you the lineage.

The varieties page compares Japanese and Thai ranchu side by side, and the anatomy page shows the back and tail lines with labels.

Care is the same

Both need the same water, the same sinking food and the same shallow, gentle tank. They can be kept together. Neither belongs with fast-swimming goldfish. See the care guide.