Jikin goldfish

The Jikin possesses the body shape of a Wakin or a Ryukin and has a tail that is compressed, creating a wide angle. Viewed from the back, the Jikin's tail possesses the shape of the letter X . Another striking feature on the Jikin is its Rokurin pattern, also called 12 points of red.[2]

'Rokurin’ means that twelve parts of its body are red such as:

• One red point on its lips
• Two red points on its tails are red
• One red point on the dorsal fin
• A pair of red points on the pelvic fins
• A pair of red points on the pectoral fins
• A pair of red points on its anal fins
• A pair of red points on the gill covers (operculum)

While the Jikin has red points on fins and gill covers, the rest of its body is white. The Jikin is also known as ‘peacocktail’, and simply, ‘Rokurin’.

The Jikin is rarely seen outside Japan. They come at an expensive price as do the Wakin.[3]

The jikin had been bred from the Wakin during the Muromachi era. The tail became spread apart, while the body became somewhat shorter. There was an old inscription regarding to create the pattern of this goldfish (by adding plum oil, or certainly remove the scales with a small spatula), now regards as the points of red.[4]

The Jikin are rarely crossbred. The Jikin breeds are:

• The Kumanomi Goldfish(Trans:クマノミ金魚) also named in English as the Anemonefish Goldfish is an exquisite breed of goldfish only located in Japan. Its origins are less known due to its circumstances being unrecognized, but it is assumed to be a cross with a Bristol shubunkin and the Jikin. The name suggests the red body with white perpendicular stripes creates an anemone-looking kind of fashion.[5]

• Tokai Nishiki is a rare breed, bred by crossing a Jikin with a Choubi (butterfly telescope). The result is a long flowing body with long broad fins, and either an X-shaped or butterfly-shaped tail.

• Brokenshire, Peter. "Japanese Jikin Goldfish". Bristol-aquarists.org.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2018.