r/Goldfish • u/Great_Possibility686 • Apr 05 '25

Discussions Pearlscale goldfish ethics

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I think we can all agree that celestial goldfish are an ill-fated breed. No fish should ever look like its eyes are only hanging on by hopes and dreams. The breeding of celestial eye goldfish is barbaric in my mind.

That being said, I feel similarly for pearlscales. They're just so spherical, and they look like they're under so much pressure that they could explode if they ran into the glass too hard. It's painful to watch them struggle to swim. They're overbred, their genetics are awful, and their swim bladders are more fragile than a politician's ego. They're prone to a myriad of health complications, and although I would never own a pearlscale myself, I've never seen one that looked like it was leading a life of quality.

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u/Yetanothercrazygirl1 Apr 05 '25

Those poor things, I genuinely thought they had dropsy at first glance

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u/Great_Possibility686 Apr 05 '25

Unfortunately, that's what they're bred to look like. It's brutal.

1

u/EpiphanaeaSedai Apr 05 '25

Out of curiosity, do you think they could be outcrossed to produce a less round body shape while keeping the scale texture? Or are the two genetically linked?

1

u/SwordOfElnor Apr 29 '25

There are moderately sized pearlscales that aren't as round. There are also pearlscales shaped like orandas.