Lionchu

The Lionchu or lionhead-ranchu^[1] is a fancy goldfish that has resulted from crossbreeding lionheads and ranchus.^[2][3]

Description

The Western criteria for lionchus combine the traditional characteristic side-view profiles of the ranchu and the lionhead.^[4] The ranchu's deep body, broad and curved back, and tail placement has been merged with the large headgrowth of the lionhead. Lionchus do not have dorsal fins.^[2][3]

Origins and evolution

Although at first, the lionchus were considered merely as mongrels^[3], being hybrids of the lionheads and ranchus, the lionhead actually have an ancestor from Japan in the 1800s; it is then known as the shishigashira ranchu or lion-headed ranchu. The shishigashira ranchu is a ranchu-like goldfish with small amounts of headgrowth and some having small knobs and bumps on the back (a suggestion that the absence of the dorsal fin had not yet been stabilized at the time).^[5] But the modern-day lionchu is considered to have originated from Thailand^[3], and was popularized by a group of goldfish hobbyists in Singapore through RafflesGold.com, an internet-based goldfish forum site. The lionchu was officially recognized as a unique class of fancy goldfish during the "My Fancy Goldfish Competition 2006", which was held in Singapore from May 26-28, 2006.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} My Fancy Goldfish Competition 2006, Lionchu Classes A (10 cm to 15 cm) and B (more than 15 cm), Vermillion Goldfish Society (Singapore)
2. ^ ^{a b} "What is a Lionchu?" by Peter Ponzio, an article from the Goldfish Pages Website (Goldfish Society of America), date retrieved: 26 May 2007
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "GFSA - Ask the Judges", an article about the Lionchu by Larry Christensen, Peter Ponzio, Scott Taylor, Tony Reynolds and John Parker, from the Goldfish Pages Website (Goldfish Society of America), date retrieved: 27 May 2007
4. ^ “The Diversity of Goldfish Varieties” an article from the Fish Tank Guide Website, a Lionchu description, date retrieved: 22 May 2007
5. ^ "Fancy Goldfish: A Complete Guide to Care and Collecting" by Dr. Erik L. Johnson, D.V.M. and Richard E. Hess, Weatherhill, Shambala Publications, Inc., 2006. - ISBN 0-8348-0448-4

Other sources

• Lionchu Photographs from the Raffles Gold Forum Website

See also

Main article: Goldfish

• Lionhead
• Ranchu

External links

• The Vermillion Goldfish Club (Singapore)

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