BLACK MOOR (Carassius Auratus) 4"

The Black Moor Goldfish is one of the more rounded or egg-shaped fancy goldfish. This rounded shape is enhanced by large bulbous eyes protruding from the sides of its head and its long, flowing finnage. Its metallic scales are a deep, velvety black.

The Black Moor is basically a black version of the Telescope Goldfish though its eyes don't protrude quite as far. The dark color and distinctive, bulging eyes have given rise to some descriptive names, such as the Dragon Eye Goldfish and Black Peony Goldfish. Black Moor juveniles are a dark bronze with flat eyes. As they mature, they become black, and their eyes begin to telescope.

While most Black Moors stay black in all sorts of environments, some may change color with age, fading to gray. They can also revert to a metallic orange when kept in warmer water. Though these fish once were available with a beautiful veil tail, the specimens available today have a broad tail, a ribbon tail, or a butterfly tail.

Black Moors are very popular gold fish and can be found in collectors' tanks around the world. Their hardiness and ability to live in cold temperatures make them ideal pets. Along with the Fantail Goldfish, Ryukin Goldfish, Common Goldfish, Comet Goldfish, and Shubunkin Goldfish, the Black Moor are considered good beginner goldfish. However, unlike the similarly egg-shaped Fantail Goldfish and Ryukin Goldfish, the Black Moor must not be kept with highly competitive tankmates.

Additionally, most of these goldfish are hardy enough to live at colder temperatures (as long as the cooling drops only a few degrees a day), which makes them ideal for outdoor ponds. The Black Moor is the only exception. While the Black Moor is hardy enough to withstand colder temperatures, its telescopic eyes cause it to see poorly. Because of this, the Black Moor does not compete well for food and is also subject to injury and infection. The other hardy goldfish mentioned above make unsuitable companions for the Black Moor because they are all too competitive during feeding time. Better tankmates would be the similarly handicapped but less hardy Telescope Goldfish, Celestial Goldfish, and Water Bubble-Eye Goldfish.

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