So - I have been told that a Japanese fish called the Tamasaba - also called the Sabao - is a single tailed Ryukin-bodied fish- with a large, flowing tail.

My friend, who is taking all my single tailed broadtailed Ryukin fry, is calling them Tamasabas.... and intends to sell them for BIG bucks.

I wish him luck. He is welcome to them, but I question whether anyone has ever even heard of this variety of fish. I had to look it up to find out about it.

?????????????????????????????????

Yup, heard of it. It's also called Sabao (if I'm not mistaken it's Japanese for shooting star? Imo, confirmation pls )

Here's a few links:
http://www.wakin.us/wst_page7.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL-xk0tBjbY

It's difficult to tell what it means without looking at the kanji characters it is written in but if I had to guess....

Saba is Mackerel

O is Tail

So Sabao could means mackerel tail.

Does this goldie have a tail like a mackeral?

Here is a pic of a mackerel...

So a swallowtailed, single tailed Ryukin.... kinda.

Hm. How interesting. I think I will insist that he keeps me updated on the fish as they mature. Could be interesting.



Thanks, guys. I knew I could count on you!!!!

This is a direct quote from the Fancy Goldfish book. "Tamasaba-The Tamasaba, also called the Sabao, is an uncommon Japenese variety with a body shaped like a Ryukin and a very long, flowing, single tail. The most common colours are solid red and deep red and white. Very attractive and strong, they make a very good pond fish as well as aquarium fish." I really like them very striking fish, and who knows if you have some calicos and other colours of them they might be worth some money.

I looked up how Sabao is written in Japanese and it indeed means mackerel tail.

As for Tamasaba, I assumed that the Tama is the kanji for Little round ball so I did a quick search for a Japanese site and it is indeed the kanji for it. So Tamasaba would mean Little ball mackerel. Click on the link below and scroll down to the 6th photo of a Tamasaba/Sabao. They do indeed look like little round balls with a tail from the much bigger mackerel directly attached to it.

Also check out the bad boy in the 7th pic. He's a foot long. The caption says he may be the biggest Oranda in the world. I want to see him and Bruce side by side.

http://tamasaba.jugem.jp/

Well, the majority of the single tailed Ryukin fry here are, indeed, "swallow tailed" or "ribbon tailed" - so they may present as Tamasaba. There are a few with full "broadtails" though. Perhaps I shall hang onto one or two to see how they grow out.

Interesting. That could be a fun fish to take to show for the "other class".

(Like I need any more "others"! )

I've also seen it written Tomasaba.

Here is mine, bred from stock imported from Japan... It is still small at about 2"

I think that's probably a typo or a mistake...


BTW, your fish is beautiful!!!

In that shot, you can clearly see the shape of the tail resembles the unique shape of the saba(mackerel)'s tail.

Do you have more pics of your sabao?

Wow! It is so neat to learn about new varieties of GF!!! Daryl, you may want to hang on to maybe two just to see how they pan out!!! Show us some pics when they are bigger!!!

Can't get pictures at this time..batteries in one are dead..and my 2yo granddaughter may be playing with the other one..not sure where it is

The cell phone just doesn't take good enough pictures!

!!!!
just when i thought goldfish couldn't get any cuter....

>.<

eeeeeeee.
i want one
xP

These are Tamsaba's:

http://www.wakin.us/wst_page7.html

These folks got them from Japanese breeders. Really beautful. Really rare in the USA. But supposedly hardy enough to overwinter, outdoors in Washington State!

CK

Callie i was just wondering is it possible to reduce the size of your sig it is really big it takes up bandwidth causing the members with dial up to run slower also people with smaller screens have to scroll across to read posts

What about the fish in the 8th pic, is that what I'm seeing? -An imperial yellow tosakin!

Yes indeed! A gorgeous one at that. Too bad the photo does not do justice to that magnificent tail.

Are you going to get another Tosakin, Mads?

Those tails are looooong! How pretty.

i fixed it ^^;

thats good thanks you can understand why though it is just so members with dial up do not run slower and so members don't have to scroll across to read posts

^^;

yea....i guess i wasn't really thinking about that.....

sorry guys
=/