Having
one of the richest set of genetic color mutants, the goldfish comes
in various color and combinations of metallic
red, white, yellow, orange, blue, brown and black. Besides the
metallic scales, the transparent or nacreous scales variation
also comes in interesting form of calico and sakura (red transparent
patches).
The color brown (or bronze) is very interesting in goldfish - different tones of brown can
appear in the same brood and even within the same fish. The
Chinese dubbed the dark
brown tone as "Zhi Yu" or "Purple Fish", where tinges of
purple-like hue radiates from the scales of a healthy dark brown
fish. The medium tone brown is of a reddish tea color and those
with light brown are of a pleasant chestnut color.
Brown coloration had long emerged in varieties like the pearlscale,
the butterfly moor, the fantail, the celestial and the oranda.
Owing to the instability of the brown gene, brown is rare
within each variety, let alone quality brown specimens.
|
|
|
Dark brown or purple ranchu -
Note the purple hue near the head |
|
