Oranda

Orandas are deep-bodied fancy goldfish, Carassius auratus, recognized by the fleshy headgrowth called a wen that develops over the head as the fish matures. Unlike lionheads and ranchu, orandas have a dorsal fin, and the body is usually rounded with a paired tail carried open behind it. The classic redcap oranda has a white body and red wen, but breeders also produce solid red, red-and-white, black, chocolate, blue, calico, and metallic or nacreous fish. Juveniles may show only modest headgrowth, so adult quality is not always obvious in young stock.

Orandas are active for fancy goldfish but still need gentle water movement, broad swimming space, and filtration sized for heavy waste production. Their headgrowth can collect debris or narrow the visual field, so keepers check that each fish is feeding and that the wen remains clean and uninjured. Rounded bodies are prone to buoyancy trouble if fish are overfed dry foods or kept in poor water; many experienced keepers use measured meals and include soft vegetable matter. In breeding, the challenge is balancing a full wen, strong dorsal fin, and symmetrical tail without producing fish that struggle to swim.

Colors: Black, Black and Orange, Black and White, Black & White, Blue, Blue-Gray, Bronze, Brown, Calico, Chocolate, Gold, Lavender, Matte, Metallic, Nacreous, Orange, Panda, Red, Red and White, Red/Black, Red Cap, Red & White, White, Yellow