Paul Green of the Ranchu Brotherhood and the Goldfish Society of Great Britain sheds some light on the Dragon eye goldfish.
In China ‘Dragon eye’ is the term used for fish with telescope eyes and the black fish you have seen will have probably been imported from there, the retailer using the name from the Chinese import list.
In my experience many Black moor (black telescope) bloodlines bred in the UK, while lovely fish, tend to have smaller eyes, so if you intend to use these fish for breeding they could inject this required element — although all other characteristics obviously need to be to type. Because the same fancy goldfish varieties are bred in a number of countries under different names, this can sometimes lead to confusion among retailers and customers alike.
The Black moor is one of my favourite varieties and good examples are second to none. So, if you see a nice one, it would definitely be worth considering.
This item was first published in the September 2009 issue of Practical Fishkeeping magazine. It may not be reproduced without written permission.