Origins
The comet-tailed goldfish breed was developed in the United States from the common goldfish by Hugo Mulertt, a government worker, in the 1880s. The first comet goldfish was first seen in the ponds of the U.S. Government Fish Commission in Washington. Mulertt later became a propagator of goldfish and an author of books on goldfish. He was the first person to place the comet onto the fishkeeping market in quantity.
Description
The comet goldfish can be distinguished from the common goldfish by its long, single and deeply forked tail fin. Under optimum conditions, the tails can grow up to 12 inches in length. Comets with yellow, orange, red, white, and red-and-white coloration are common.
The Comet is more active than most other goldfish breeds. It is not unusual to see a Comet dashing back and forth in his tank, racing around in a playful manner. Due to the comet's hardy and active nature, and the relative ease in caring for them, they are the breed best suited to ponds and outdoor pools. They are often kept with koi in outdoor ponds. Comet goldfish have a natural life span of 7 to 14 years and may live even longer in optimum conditions.
Variants
- Sarasa comets are characterized by their red-and-white coloration and resemble the Kohaku color pattern in koi. Sarasa Comets have long flowing fins and are very hardy fish. Although the Sarasa Comet is originally from China, the word 'sarasa' is of Japanese origin.[1][5][8]
- The Tancho single-tail is similar to the comet-tail but it has a silver-colored body and fins with a single red patch on the head.
Goldfish farming
Goldfish are commonly bred on fish farms in many parts of the world. In most instances, the fish produced are offered for sale to aquarists. However, in North America, there is a demand for goldfish used as bait or "feeder fish" to other fish by anglers. Due to the relatively inexpensive prices of comet goldfish, they may also be used as prizes in carnivals or other places of entertainment. The use of goldfish as bait, feeder fish and carnival prizes is controversial, and animal rights activists have attempted to make the practice illegal, albeit unsuccessfully.
