The Pearlscale is of Chinese origin from the Cyprinidae family (of which the koi is also a member). In Japanese, it is known as Chinsurin.
They are frequently mistaken for Fantails with their characteristic egg-shaped bodies but the shapes are slightly different.
The body is compact and rounded, with a small, narrow head and no wen (crown).
There is a variety that has a hood that is similar to that of the Oranda—only as more rounded and not as cauliflower shaped—known as the Crown (Hamanishiki or “High-headed”) Pearlscale.
They maintain the rounded body shape throughout life with younger Pearlscales resembling golf balls, while the older look more like oranges (but with more colors!).
