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Out of all the different types of goldfish, the Comet is assumed to be the only breed originating in the United States. They first appeared in the ponds of the Fish Commission in Washington in the early 1880s. The first to place them on the market in quantity was one Mr. Hugo Mullertt.
In the Far East, Comets have taken a fancier name; Swallowtails. The scientific name of the Comet is Carassius auratus.
Fine-quality Comets seemed to have disappeared from the show circuit lately. Their popularity has dwindled in the past ten to twenty years.
What separates the Comet from the Common is its’ unusually long tail. According to the Bristol Aquarists Society, the tail, or caudal fin, is described as a single fin deeply forked and well spread whose dorsal lobe length is greater than three quarters of its body length. This is part of their Comet Standard profile. It also details that the depth of the body is to be between three sevenths and tree eights of body length, the pectoral and pelvic fins to be paired, and the dorsal and anal fins to be single. The tips of the fins should be visibly pointed.
Comets come in reds, oranges, yellows, white, bronze, red and white. Blue based calicos are called Shubunkins. True Shubunkins should show black, red, blue and orange mottling over that blue base. Sarasa Comets display red and white coloration.
These fish, along with Commons, are often found in pet stores labeled as “feeder goldfish”. They are unfortunately kept in poor conditions and sold extremely cheap. They can also occasionally be found at carnivals as prizes to a variety of games of “skill”, such as tossing a ping pong ball into tiny goldfish bowls. People often mistreat goldfish of all varieties because they think that the goldfish can live in any condition.
While they can survive in tanks, they will be more likely to flourish in a pond. If you do decide to keep them in tanks, ample space will ensure larger, healthier and happier fish. Comets can grow to be twelve inches long. Bowls are NOT an option for Comets. Their growth will become stunted and this is not healthy for them. They, along with Shubunkins, are said to be the heartiest varieties of goldfish.
When the average, uneducated person thinks of a goldfish, the first thing that usually comes to mind is either the Common or the Comet.
I have created a Comet Anatomy interactive flash page here:http://www.tiensivu.com/goldfish/anatomy.html
Comet
Submitted by BubblesOwner
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