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Encyclopedia / Goldfish & Coldwater / Shubunkin
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Variations

4 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Shubunkin

Carassius auratus · Calico goldfish, London shubunkin, Bristol shubunkin, Pond goldfish

Peaceful and fast; better in ponds than bowls.

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30 cmAdult size ✓
4–26 °CTemperature ✓
6.5–8pH ✓
150 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Shubunkin needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Cardinal tetra is tropical.
Not recommended
  • Shubunkin needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Serpae tetra is tropical.
Not recommended
  • Shubunkin needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while X-ray tetra is tropical.
With conditions
  • Shubunkin will eat baby cherry shrimp. Add lots of moss and plants so some survive.
With conditions
  • Shubunkin will eat baby amano shrimp. Add lots of moss and plants so some survive.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

186 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓5–19 dGH
Group size ✓5 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ✓10–15 years
Size in shops 5–12 cm
Growth Fast

Behavior

Peaceful and fast; better in ponds than bowls. Needs space and strong filtration.

  • cool

Food

Goldfish pellets, blanched vegetables and frozen foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

In the breeding season males develop small white breeding tubercles on the gill covers (sometimes on the pectoral fins); females are rounder-bodied.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Easy

Spawns in spring and early summer once water is above about 10 °C, scattering sticky eggs onto plants; parents eat eggs, so fry are raised apart and sorted for colour.

Pairing

Group in spring pond.

Setup

Pond with spawning mops or plants.

What starts it

Spring warming.

Eggs

A female usually lays about 2,000-4,000 eggs at a time; they hatch in 2-9 days depending on temperature.

Raising the fry

Fry feed on infusoria then fine pellets; cull for colour.

Common mistakes
  • Overcrowding
  • Feeding poor food
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionMan-made – bred in captivity (ancestor from East Asia)
Rivers and lakesAncestral wild goldfish from eastern China
HabitatAncestor lives in slow rivers, lakes and ponds
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
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The story of the shubunkin

A hardy single-tailed goldfish with calico (nacreous) scales, first bred in Japan around 1900 by Akiyama Yoshigoro. The London and Bristol shubunkins were later developed in Britain. Well suited to ponds.

The goldfish species was described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Cyprinus auratus. The shubunkin, a calico goldfish with nacreous scales, was developed in Japan in the early 20th century. British breeders then created the London and Bristol shubunkins.

  • Its blue, red, white and black pattern is called 'calico'.
  • The Bristol shubunkin is known for its large, rounded tail.
  • Goldfish were first selectively bred in China over a thousand years ago.

Sources

17 facts checked with sources