Pearlscale

Care at a glance

Overview

Give one pearlscale about 95 L with gentle flow and smooth decor. Keep the water 18 to 24 C at a pH of 6.5 to 8.0, a little warmer than flatter fancies since the round body handles cold poorly. Feed presoaked sinking pellets and blanched peas to reduce trapped air and constipation, the usual causes of buoyancy trouble. House it with other slow fancy goldfish.

In the wild

The pearlscale is an almost spherical fancy goldfish, sometimes called the golf ball or ping pong goldfish for its round belly. Each scale carries a raised dome of calcium that gives a pearly, beaded look. The extreme round body makes it very prone to swim bladder and buoyancy problems. Keep it warm and stable, roughly 18 to 24 C, and feed carefully.

Good to know

The pearled scales are domed deposits of calcium carbonate within the scale, a fixed genetic trait, and a lost pearl scale grows back plain. The rounded body compresses the internal organs, which is why buoyancy disorders are common. It is a short bodied strain of Carassius auratus.

Did you know

The round pearlscale body cannot right itself as easily as a flatter goldfish, so keeping it off floating food is the single most important thing for its health.

Related species

• 

  Fantail

  Carassius auratus

  7.1 in (18 cm)20 gal (75 L)59–73°F (15–23°C)

• 

  Lionhead

  Carassius auratus

  7.1 in (18 cm)25 gal (95 L)61–75°F (16–24°C)

• 

  Ranchu

  Carassius auratus

  7.1 in (18 cm)25 gal (95 L)61–75°F (16–24°C)

• 

  Black Moor

  Carassius auratus

  7.9 in (20 cm)25 gal (95 L)61–75°F (16–24°C)

• 

  Common goldfish

  Carassius auratus

  7.9 in (20 cm)24 gal (90 L)39–82°F (4–28°C)

• 

  Ryukin

  Carassius auratus

  7.9 in (20 cm)25 gal (95 L)61–73°F (16–23°C)