Description and Background
The Pearlscale, also called Chinshurin in Japanese, is an egg-shaped variety of goldfish. The body is short, stubby, and compact. It has a straight back and swollen belly, resembling a golfball, and is usually twin tailed.
It is the only Goldfish type with differently shaped scales. The scales on the Pearlscale Goldfish have a hard raised area in the middle of the scale, and the name of the fish is derived from this area since it is commonly white and looking like a pearl. Pearlscale Goldfish can be found in all kinds of colours, such as red, blue, black, calico, chocolate and red/white combinations.
The Pearlscale Fancy Goldfish is one of the newer varieties of fancy goldfish, with the first known mention of them from the early 20th century. They first appeared in 1900, and have been largely developed in England.
Most breeders prefer Pearlscale Goldfish where the body depth is greater than 2/3 of the body length. The Pearlscale Goldfish is found in two major variations – those who have a headgrowth and those who have not. Those with a headgrowth are called Hamanishiki, and the most popular headgrowth is one that is round and even and in just one piece. There should ideally be no smaller growth behind the major headgrowth.
A variation of the common pearlscale is the Crown Pearlscale Goldfish or Hamanishiki Crown Pearlscale, which develops a hood or head growth similar to that seen on the Oranda Goldfish.
It is the only Goldfish type with differently shaped scales. The scales on the Pearlscale Goldfish have a hard raised area in the middle of the scale, and the name of the fish is derived from this area since it is commonly white and looking like a pearl. Pearlscale Goldfish can be found in all kinds of colours, such as red, blue, black, calico, chocolate and red/white combinations.
The Pearlscale Fancy Goldfish is one of the newer varieties of fancy goldfish, with the first known mention of them from the early 20th century. They first appeared in 1900, and have been largely developed in England.
Most breeders prefer Pearlscale Goldfish where the body depth is greater than 2/3 of the body length. The Pearlscale Goldfish is found in two major variations – those who have a headgrowth and those who have not. Those with a headgrowth are called Hamanishiki, and the most popular headgrowth is one that is round and even and in just one piece. There should ideally be no smaller growth behind the major headgrowth.
A variation of the common pearlscale is the Crown Pearlscale Goldfish or Hamanishiki Crown Pearlscale, which develops a hood or head growth similar to that seen on the Oranda Goldfish.
Part of History
Empress Dowager Ci-Xi
Legend has it that during the Qing dynasty, an entourage from India brought the first Pearlscale variety as a tribute to the Empress Dowager Ci-Xi. Apparently the Pearlscale variety is the product of genetic mutation of the Wen-Yu (fantail) in India that originated from China centuries ago. Decades of selective breeding has resulted in many sub-varieties of the Pearlscale. The oldest line is perhaps the classical Pearlscale from northern China. This beautiful variety has:
Unfortunately, for commercial reasons, it has not been bred extensively and it is a rarity outside of China.
- A small pointed head contrasting with a big belly
- Pronounced pearls
- A graceful tail with a very shallow indent, looking very much like a veil tail.
Unfortunately, for commercial reasons, it has not been bred extensively and it is a rarity outside of China.