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Variety of Goldfish

Pearlscale

Carassius auratus

One of 12 varieties of Carassius auratus · See all varieties →

Also known as Ping pong pearlscale, Golfball pearlscale, Chinshurin

FreshwaterFish

Pearlscale (Carassius auratus)
Lawrencekhoo · CC BY-SA 4.0

Varieties · Carassius auratus

See all 12 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–75°F
18–24°C
pH
6.5–8.0
Adult size
7.1 in
18 cm
Minimum tank
25 gal
95 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
A round bodied fancy goldfish bred in China from domesticated Carassius auratus, whose wild ancestor lives in slow freshwater across East Asia.

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.

Common questions

Is a Pearlscale a different species from the Goldfish?

No. A Pearlscale is a variety of the Goldfish, Carassius auratus. It is kept the same way apart from difficulty, adult size, tank size and temperature.

What size tank does a Pearlscale need?

A Pearlscale needs at least 25 gal (95 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

How big does a Pearlscale get?

An adult Pearlscale reaches about 7.1 in (18 cm).

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