Telescope Goldfish

Demekin, Dragon Eye Goldfish, Globe Eye Goldfish

Family: CyprinidaeCalico Telescope GoldfishCarassius auratus auratusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Tammy

The Telescope Goldfish is a bizarre looking fish, with eyes perched on stalks sticking out from its head!

The eyes are a most curious characteristic of the Telescope Goldfish.Their large eyes are set on top of long telescope or cone-like stalks mounted on the sides of its head. On some fish these stalks can extend out as far as 3/4 of an inch (19 - 20 cm), but they don't really start to protrude until these fish are about 6 months old. It is believed the Telescope Goldfish were first developed in China in the early 1700's and were called the Dragon Eye Goldfish or Dragonfish. Later in that century they were produced in Japan and were given the name Demekin, which the Japanese still call them today.

Rather than having the long slender body of the Common Goldfish or the Shubunkins, this is one of the more rounded or egg-shaped fancy gold fish. Other than its eyes, and being slightly smaller, a basic Telescope Goldfish is very similar to the Fantail Goldfish. The body is short and stubby, the head is very wide, and they have a split caudal fin (tail fin) that is moderate in length and slightly forked.

Today they are also available with long flowing fins and a couple other tail fin styles: veil tail, broadtail, and butterfly tail. There are many different colors in both metallic and nacreous scale types, but seldom in a matte scale type. These include solids of red, blue, chocolate, or white; tri-colored and calico; and bi-colored versions in red/white and black/white. The bi-colored black/white version is affectionately known as the Panda Telescope Goldfish and there is a unique chocolate version with orange pompoms. The well known, and very popular Black Moor Goldfish is basically a black version of the Telescope Goldfish though its eyes don't protrude quite as far.

Like the Black Moor the Telescope Goldfish have the ability to live at colder temperatures, but unlike their cousin they are not considered a good beginner fish. This is not because they lack general hardiness, but rather because of their more extremely telescopic eyes. Their eyes cause them to have poor vision so they are not a good competitor for food, and their eyes are subject to injury and infection. These fish will thrive best housed with the other similarly handicapped including the Black Moor and the less hardy Bubble Eye Goldfish Lionhead Goldfish, and Celestial Goldfish.

For more goldfish information, see:
Goldfish Care: Fancy Goldfish and Goldfish Diseases

Geographic Distribution Carassius auratus auratus Data provided by FishBase.org Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Cypriniformes Family: Cyprinidae Genus: Carassius Species: auratus auratus

Habitat: Distribution / Background

The goldfish of today are descendants of a wild carp fish, known as the Prussian Carp, Silver Prussian carp, or Gibel Carp Carassius gibelio (syn: Carassius auratus gibelio) which was described by Bloch in 1782. These wild carp originated in Asia; Central Asia (siberia). They inhabit the slow moving and stagnant waters of rivers, lakes, ponds, and ditches feeding on plants, detritus, small crustaceans, and insects. For many years it was believed that goldfish had originated from the Crucian Carp or Golden Carp Carassius auratus auratus described by Linnaeus in 1758, but more recent research is pointing toward the former.

Goldfish were originally developed in China, but by the 1500's goldfish were traded to Japan, to Europe in the 1600's, and to America by the 1800's. The majority of the fancy goldfish were being developed by Oriental breeders. The results of this centuries long endeavor is the wonderful goldfish colors and forms we see today. Today domesticated goldfish are distributed world-wide.

The Telescope Goldfish is also known as the Demekin, Dragon Eye Goldfish, and Globe Eye Goldfish. It was believed to be developed in China in the early 1700's where it was known as the Dragon Eyes or the Dragonfish. In the later part of the 1700's it was produced in Japan where it is known as the Demekin. The Black Moor is still referred to as the Dragon Eye Goldfish as well as the Black Demekin. Today there are more than 125 captive bred fancy gold fish varieties.

• Scientific Name: Carassius auratus auratus
• Social Grouping: Groups
• IUCN Red List: NE - Not Evaluated or not listed - There are no wild populations of this captive bred variety.

Description

The Telescope Goldfish is an egg-shaped variety of goldfish. Other than its eyes, and being slightly smaller, a basic Telescope Goldfish is very similar to the Fantail Goldfish. The body is short and stubby, the head is very wide, and they have a split caudal fin (tail fin) that is moderate in length and slightly forked.

Their large eyes are set on top of long telescope or cone-like stalks mounted on the sides of its head. On some fish these stalks can extend out as far as 3/4 of an inch (19 - 20 cm), but they don't really start to protrude until these fish are about 6 months old. Today the Telescope Goldfish are also available with long flowing fins and a couple other tail fin styles: veil tail, broadtail, and butterfly.

The bi-colored black/white version is affectionately known as the Panda Telescope Goldfish and there is a unique chocolate version with orange pompoms. The well known, and very popular Black Moor Goldfish is basically a black version of the Telescope Goldfish though its eyes don't protrude quite as far.

• Goldfish colors
  There are many different colors in both metallic and nacreous scale types, but seldom in a matte scale type. These include solids of red, blue, chocolate, or white; tri-colored and calico; and bi-colored fish in red/white and black/white.
• Size - Weight
  Telescope Goldfish will generally reach about 4 inches (10 cm), though they have been known to grow much larger in many aquarists tanks.
• Goldfish lifespan
  The average goldfish lifespan is 10 – 15 years, though living 20 years or more is not uncommon in well maintained goldfish aquariums and ponds.

• Size of fish - inches: 8.0 inches (20.32 cm) - Telescope Goldfish rarely exceed five inches in the home aquarium, however given optimal conditions they can grow up to eight inches in length.

Fish Keeping Difficulty

The Telescope Goldfish are not considered a good beginner fish. This is not because they lack general hardiness, but rather because of their more extremely telescopic eyes. Besides causing them to have poor vision, their eyes are subject to injury and infection. They are very undemanding of water quality and temperature. They can do well in a goldfish bowl, an aquarium, or even a pond if the environment is safe, well maintained, and have tank mates that are not competitive. When it comes to feeding, they will not thrive well with fast competitive tank mates.

Many people will keep goldfish in small one or two gallon bowls with no heater or filtration. But for the best success in keeping goldfish, provide them the same filtration, especially biological filtration, that other aquarium residents enjoy. Be careful when netting these fish, as their eyes are easily damaged. When it comes to feeding, they will not thrive well with fast competitive tank mates.

• Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
• Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner

Foods and Feeding

Since they are omnivorous, the Telescope Goldfish will generally eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen), blood worms, Daphnia, or tubifex worms as a treat. It is usually better to feed freeze-dried foods as opposed to live foods to avoid parasites and bacterial infections that could be present in live foods. Due to the protruding eyes they have poor vision and a harder time seeing their food, so need extra time to feed.

• Diet Type: Omnivore
• Flake Food: Yes
• Tablet Pellet: Yes
• Live foods (fishes, shrimps, worms): Some of Diet
• Vegetable Food: Some of Diet
• Meaty Food: Some of Diet
• Feeding Frequency: Several feedings per day - This fish has poor vision and is a poor swimmer and as such might easily be outcompeted for food by swifter moving tankmates.

Aquarium Care

Regular weekly water changes of 1/4 to 1/3 is strongly recommended to keep these fish healthy. Snails can be added as they reduce the algae in the tank, helping to keep it clean.

• Water Changes: Weekly

Aquarium Setup

Setting up an aquarium in a manner that will keep your fish happy and healthy is the first step to successfully fish keeping. Here are aquarium parameters to consider in choosing goldfish aquariums, filtration, lighting, and decor as well as temperature and water movement.

• Minimum Tank Size / Length:
  The shape and size of the goldfish aquarium is important and depends upon the number of fish you are going to keep. Goldfish need a lot of oxygen and produce a lot of waste. Keep the tank size and shape in mind when you are buying your fish.
  • Tank Shape
    A large surface area of water will help minimize goldfish suffering from an oxygen shortage. Surface area is determined by the shape of the tank. For the same volume of water, an elongated tank offers more surface area (and oxygen) than a tall tank. In a goldfish bowl, filling the bowl to the middle offers more surface area than filling the bowl to the top. Always provide the maximum amount of surface area.
  • Tank size
    It's best to start with a 20 - 30 gallon tank for your first goldfish and then increase the size of the tank by 10 gallons for each additional goldfish. Providing a large amount of water per fish will help dilute the amount of waste and reduce the number of water changes needed
  • Formula: # of fish per gallon of water
    A general rule of thumb, but only for young fish, is 1 inch of fish (2.54 cm) per 1 gallon of water. This rule applies only to young fish and is not adequate as they grow. Larger gold fish consume much more oxygen than young fish so maintaining this formula for growing fish will stunt them, and can contribute to disease and even death.
  • Fish: size and growth
    To allow for growth, either buy fewer fish than the maximum number of fish (based on the formula above) or be prepared to get a larger tank. Larger gold fish consume much more oxygen than young fish so maintaining this formula for growing fish will stunt them, and can contribute to disease and even death
• Aquarium Lighting
  Most aquariums come with a cover that includes lighting. A cover for the tank is desirable as it reduces evaporation and though they are not prone to jumping, on occasion some gold fish will jump out. Lighting is not essential for goldfish, but does make the aquarium a nice show piece and lighting will help if you have live plants.
• Filtration
  Goldfish produce a lot of waste. Good filtration, especially biological filtration, is very helpful in maintaining the water quality of the aquarium. Filtration systems remove much of the detritus, excess foods and waste. This helps keep the tank clean and maintain the general health of the goldfish.
• Substrate
  Provide a gravel substrate to help create a natural and comfortable environment for your fish. A medium sized gravel works best..
• Aquarium Decor
  You can add some decor, but keep in mind that the eyes of the Black Moor are a handicap and these fish have very poor vision. Make sure that all ornamentation is smooth with no protruding points or sharp edges. Smooth rocks or driftwood, should be used sparingly if at all.
  Aquarium plants would be the best choice of aquarium decor for goldfish, but unfortunately these fish are diggers. Consequently live plants may be uprooted. Artificial plants make a good substitute and silk plants are safer than plastic ones.
• Temperature: Goldfish are a cold water fish and will do best at temperatures between 65 - 72° F (18°- 22° C). The Telescope Goldfish can tolerate temperatures a few degrees above freezing, as long as the cooling drops only a few degrees a day. A quick temperature drop can kill them, so if you live in a very cold climate a heater is advisable
• Water Hardness: 5 - 19° dGH
• ph: 6.0 to 8.0
• Water Movement: Moderate.
• Water Region: These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

• Minimum Tank Size: 10 gal (38 L) - Ten gallons is the absolute minimum required to house this fish. It has high oxygen requirements, produces a lot of waste, and will have very stunted growth if it is kept in a smaller aquarium or bowl.
• Suitable for Nano Tank: Sometimes
• Substrate Type: Any
• Lighting Needs: Moderate - normal lighting
• Temperature: 65.0 to 72.0° F (18.3 to 22.2° C)
• Range ph: 6.0-8.0
• Hardness Range: 5 - 19 dGH
• Brackish: Sometimes - Goldfish are freshwater fish, but they have some tolerance for slightly brackish water. Yet any salinity for C. auratus must be kept below 10%, a specific gravity of less than 1.002.
• Water Movement: Moderate
• Water Region: All

Social Behaviors

Goldfish are very social animals and thrive in a community. Not only are they a great community fish but they are great scavengers as well. The Telescope Goldfish, along with the Black Moor Goldfish, Bubble Eye Goldfish, and the Celestial Goldfish, are all visually handicapped. They cannot readily compete for food with other types of goldfish so may not fare well if housed with them, but they will do well housed together. Goldfish are great scavengers, so it is really not necessary to add other scavengers or other bottom feeders to the aquarium when you have goldfish.

• Venomous: No
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Compatible with:
  • Same species - conspecifics: Yes
  • Peaceful fish (): Safe
  • Semi-Aggressive (): Threat
  • Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: Safe - not aggressive
  • Plants: Threat - Goldfish will eat many kinds of aquatic plants, and their constant search for food can end up uprooting plants that they don't eat.

Sex: Sexual differences

During the breeding season the male has white prickles, called breeding tubercles, on its gill covers and head. Seen from above a female will have a fatter appearance when she is carrying eggs. It is impossible to sex Goldfish when they are young and not in breeding season, but generally the male is smaller and more slender than the female.

Breeding / Reproduction

Telescope Goldfish are egg layers that spawn readily in the right conditions. See Breeding Freshwater Fish - Goldfish for more information on breeding Goldfish.

• Ease of Breeding: Moderate

Fish Diseases

Goldfish are subject to the same diseases as tropical fish. A couple of the more common problems are Ich, Swim Bladder Disease, and external parasites including flukes, lice and anchor worms. For more in-depth information about goldfish diseases and illnesses, see: Goldfish Care; Fancy Goldfish and Goldfish Diseases.

Availability

The Telescope Goldfish is readily available in fish stores and on-line, and is fairly inexpensive.

References

• Animal-World References: Freshwater Fish and Plants
• David Alderton, Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish , DK Publishing, Inc., 2005.
• Marshall E. Ostrow, Goldfish (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals), Barron's Educational Series, Inc. 2003
• Geoff Rogers, Nick Fletcher, Focus on Freshwater Aquarium Fish, Firefly Books. 2004
• David Sands, Goldfish (Caring for Your Pet), Interpet Publishing, 1999

Lastest Animal Stories on Telescope Goldfish View all 15 Animal Stories on Telescope Goldfish Add Your Animal Story

ananya roy - 2012-11-27 My goldfish is floating upside down and stays in that way all the time on the bed of the aquarium. It cannot get right. I have tried feeding it, but now it is drifting around like that, unable to eat, for like five days. The aquarium fish expert is suggesting to put it to sleep. I don't like this suggestion but I cannot bear it's suffering anymore. Are there any other options for me to ease its suffering? If not, what is the most humane way to put it to sleep? please help me!! Jeremy Roche - 2012-11-27 This is a common issue with goldfish.  May be a digestion issue that is affecting the swim bladder.  Some times a few day fast will correct the issue.  If able to feed fish try some frozen peas which will help get the digestive track moving. Adding salt to the water will kill off any parasites. It will also help to remove air and water from the swim bladder.If that does not work fill a 10 gallon tank up just about an inch above the fish's dorsal fin. Use water from original tank to not stress the fish any more then needed. This will sometimes make it easier for the goldfish to swim in more of a controled manner.  If that isn't effective try adding aquairium salt.  Feed the goldfish a variety of frozen foods, this will help pass any food in the digestive tract and frozen food will fal faster to the bottom making it easier to eat in shallow water.  So if it is a constipation issue this should cure it.  Once fish seems to be swimming stable more water can be added slowly. Hope this works.  Let me know! Jeremy Roche - 2012-11-29 Maybe try lowering the water a bit and add a little more salt! Jeremy Roche - 2012-11-29 Try some frozen peas when it is eating.  Could just be VERY constipated. ananya roy - 2012-11-29 I added one teaspoon of aquarium salt.it started moving and was trying to get straight vigorously,it even ate some of the frozen food,but then again it has become lethargic like before.the only difference is that earlier it was lying upside down on the gravel bed,now it is floating upside down at the upper surface of the water level. the improvement is that,it is trying to get up,and it is moving around a bit(in its upside down position). ananya roy - 2012-12-02 i have discovered the truth behind my goldie's 'illness'. it floats and swims upright all night and whenever not observed.but whenever i monitor the tank,and watch it closely,it decides to play 'sick'. it eats and does everything normal when not watched.i woke up at night and watched the tank in dim light. it was absolutely normal!! swimming normally and eating and playing around. but when i turned on the light to see more clearly,it quickly turned upside down and started floating around.i turned off the light and after a few minutes it was normal again.i never imagined that goldfishes are capable of such mischief!!i know they are very intelligent,but this one has been playing trick with me!! i have observed and watched it's behavior and i can firmly tell that it is playing 'sick' and is apparently enjoying all the fuss and attention. Jeremy Roche - 2012-12-02 Some fish are light sensitive.  Is it only when lightrs are on?? Reply

Emilly - 2011-01-29 My friend's is swimming upside down... oh, he ran into the wall... that's a bad thing right? NOM NOM - 2011-05-04 Yeah, if your friends fish is swimming upside down then it is probably dead. No offence. cheyenne - 2011-07-07 It probably has swim bladder, if it is still alive. This can result in floating upside down or head down swimming. He or she probably swallowed to much air while nibbleing at the food at the surface of the tank and it caused his or her stomach to float. This can be reversed by presoaking your fish food befor you give it to your fish and by feeding them skined peas, perferably frozen, not canned. Anonymous - 2011-11-15 yes. Alex Burleson - 2011-12-04 This is commonly seen as a bad oman...when a fish swims upside down. The fish, could potentially have a swim bladder disorder. The fishes' swim bladder allows it to balance itself in the water. Similar to an air valve in a submarine. If the fish is eating properly, and returns itself to swimming normal, you can let your 'guard down' as this may have been a one time experience. Best of luck! george - 2011-12-04 i found out they are a needy fish for copanionship find another one or a friend or mate or stick your hand in tank everyday and play with her or him company of the same breed works wonders Erica - 2012-11-14 Your fish is fine. My fish is like that too. While he may have a swim bladder issue, he can still live a nice happy life. I'm convinced mine actually enjoys being upside down. Besides, now he can stare at the pretty pebbles until I get home. You can always feed him mushed, unsalted, unpeeled peas. Don't worry too much about this, but try to feed him frozen foods instead of flakes or pellets. The last two tend to absorb water and expand in your fish, making it difficult to digest. P.s. Good luck from both me and my upside down fish =) Jeremy Roche - 2012-11-14 Try some frozen peas may be constipated and messing with swim bladder. Reply

Emilly - 2011-09-10 Hi I got my telescopic eyed Goldfish and her name is Bow, last night just before I went to bed I checked on her and she seemed to be resting in the bottom corner? Was she just resting or sleeping or is something wrong with her ..... she seems to be fine when I feed her and then she is fine ..... I hope she is okay? Clarice Brough - 2011-09-12 Well, if she seems fine most of the time, she probably is fine. But I would keep and eye on her just to be sure. Staying in a corner all the time would indicate something's wrong, like the water quality is bad, or another fish picking on her. Reply

fishman38 - 2012-07-01 I have two telescope goldfish in my tank and they were fine when I left for town and then when I got back they both had one eye missing. What would cause this happen? I just did a water change today then there eyes gone. I have other gold fish in there but they have all gotten along and never fight Reply

Audrie - 2012-05-26 I have a red-cap Telescope Goldfish named Niko. When I bought him, all of his fins were black tipped. Are red-caped fish supposed to be all white excepted for the red spot on their head? Is this type of color pattern normal? Reply

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