Listen to the Song – The Shubunkin Song – A Rainbow of Colours, a Song of Peace
The Shubunkin
The Shubunkin Song – A Rainbow of Colours, a Song of Peace
The complete lyrics are included in the companion book, Our Jewels in the Water, allowing readers to follow every song while discovering the remarkable stories behind our freshwater fish.
Enjoying the music?
The companion book Our Jewels in the Water includes the full lyrics, additional stories, exclusive photographs and beautiful illustrations for every species.
“Like a rainbow brought to life beneath the water, the Shubunkin turns an ordinary garden pond into a world of colour.”
Species Profile
The Shubunkin is one of the most beautiful and distinctive varieties of Goldfish (Carassius auratus).
Unlike the familiar golden-orange fish, the Shubunkin is celebrated for its remarkable calico colouring.
Its body can carry a wonderful mixture of blue, black, red, orange and white, often scattered in completely unpredictable patterns.
No two Shubunkins are quite alike.
Beneath those spectacular colours, however, is a hardy and active fish that shares much of its biology with the common Goldfish.
Today, the Shubunkin has become a favourite inhabitant of garden ponds around the world.
Clive’s Story
There is something wonderfully peaceful about sitting beside a garden pond and watching fish move slowly beneath the surface.
The Shubunkin makes that experience even more special.
Every fish seems to carry its own little painting upon its body.
One may be predominantly blue and black, another splashed with orange and red, while another seems to contain almost every colour imaginable.
Perhaps that is why the Shubunkin inspired such a gentle song.
Watching these fish is not about excitement or competition.
It is simply about enjoying a quiet moment with nature.
In a world that sometimes seems to move far too quickly, there is something very comforting about watching a Shubunkin glide peacefully through the water.
Natural History
The Shubunkin is a selectively bred variety of Goldfish rather than a separate species.
Like other Goldfish, it belongs to the carp family, Cyprinidae.
Shubunkins are generally hardy fish and are particularly well suited to outdoor ponds where there is sufficient space, oxygen and good water quality.
They are omnivorous and will eat a mixture of small aquatic organisms, insect larvae, plant material, algae and suitable prepared foods.
During the warmer months, spawning fish may scatter adhesive eggs amongst aquatic plants.
The young initially appear relatively plain, with their characteristic colours and patterns becoming more apparent as they develop.
Given suitable conditions and proper care, Shubunkins can live for many years.
Interesting Facts
- The Shubunkin is a variety of Goldfish (Carassius auratus).
- Family: Cyprinidae.
- Famous for its beautiful calico colouring.
- Colours can include blue, black, red, orange and white.
- Every individual’s pattern is different.
- Particularly prized for blue within its colour pattern.
- Hardy and well suited to many garden ponds.
- Omnivorous.
- Can live for many years with good care.
- Shubunkins were developed as ornamental fish in Japan.
- Several recognised forms of Shubunkin have been developed.
- Despite their spectacular appearance, they retain many characteristics of the common Goldfish.
Behind the Song
When writing The Shubunkin Song – A Rainbow of Colours, a Song of Peace, I wanted to capture two things that make this fish special.
The first is obvious — its extraordinary colour.
A Shubunkin really does look like a rainbow swimming beneath the water.
But the second is the feeling you get simply watching one.
There is a peacefulness about a pond.
The gentle movement of the water, the reflections of the sky and the slow appearance of brightly coloured fish create a little world where everything seems calmer.
That is why this became not only a song about colour, but a song of peace.
Sometimes nature doesn’t need to be dramatic to make us stop and appreciate it.
Sometimes all it takes is a beautiful fish swimming quietly beneath the surface.
Responsible Ownership
Like the Goldfish from which it was developed, the Shubunkin is an ornamental fish and is not native to Britain’s natural waterways.
Shubunkins should therefore never be released into rivers, lakes, canals or other wild waters.
Although releasing a pet fish may seem like an act of kindness, introduced fish can disturb natural ecosystems, compete with native wildlife and potentially spread disease.
Anyone who can no longer care for a Shubunkin should seek an appropriate new pond or responsible keeper rather than releasing the fish into the wild.
Looking after our native wildlife sometimes means knowing which fish belong in our rivers — and which should remain safely within our garden ponds.
Clive’s Reflection
The Shubunkin reminds me that not every jewel has to be rare.
Sometimes beauty can be found just outside our own back door.
A garden pond may be small compared with a great river or Highland loch, but to a child looking beneath its surface it can contain an entire underwater world.
And when a Shubunkin appears through the reflections, carrying its extraordinary mixture of colours, it is difficult not to stop and watch.
Perhaps that is the real gift these fish give us.
For a few moments, we forget everything else.
We simply watch.
And in that little moment there is colour, nature and peace.
That is why the Shubunkin truly is a rainbow of colours and a song of peace.
“Where colours dance beneath still water, even the busiest world can become peaceful for a while.”