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The pearlscale is the commonest of the 'novelty' fantail derivatives in Britain, although it seems to be less often seen now than ten years ago. It breeds true to form, but it is a challenge to introduce the full suite of calico colours in addition to the orangey-white usually found. The pearlscale is a very lively fish, and is featured in our video (see About Us), nicknamed "golf ball" by the TV crew.
There is a long-finned version of the pearlscale, seldom seen in Europe.
Pearlscales first appeared in 1900.
The pearlscale standard is as follows:
The fish should be bright and alert and displaying well developed domed scales all over the body area. The body should be short and rounded (not elongated). The caudal fin should be held high without signs of drooping and well divided. Quality fish will have high colour intensity extending into the fins.
The colour may be metallic (self-coloured or variegated in a pleasing pattern and similar on each side) or calico. Metallic colours should appear as burnished metal, extending into the fins. Calico fish should have a blue background with patches of violet, red, orange, yellow and brown, spotted with black.
Ideal profiles are illustrated below:
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Three adult pearlscales shown at BAS 2005; the lower fish has a larger tail than for the standard.
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Mature adult, shown at BAS 2002, caught here in strong sunlight. All the above fish have the typical, orange-white colour of British pearlscales.
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A very good example, shown at BAS 1999 (left) and BAS 2000 (right). Notice the similarity to the fantail in body size, contour and finnage.
These fish are very typical of the pearlscales seen in UK, having an overall orange cast to the calico colouration and the typical very round body. They were shown at BAS 2000 as part of a breeder's team of four.