Most goldfish fanatics will already be aware of the three primary scale types, Metallic, Calico and Matte. Explained very simply in rudimentary terms, the first (Metallic) is a completely shiny fish, the second (Calico) is a fish with a mixture of shiny scales and dull scales and the third (Matte) is a completely dull fish with no shine.
This table shows the genetically predetermined offspring ratios when cross breeding fish with different scale types.
X | Metallic | Calico | Matte |
Metallic | 100% Metallic | 50% Calico, 50% Metallic | 100% Calico |
Calico | 50% Calico, 50% Metallic | 50% Calico, 25% Metallic, 25% Matte | 50% Calico, 50% Matte |
Matte | 100% Calico | 50% Calico, 50% Matte | 100% Matte |
We have experienced an anomaly to the established method shown here, resulting in extreme confusion and an extra task: theorising what may have happened. We bred a Calico Pearlscale to a Metallic Pearlscale and every single offspring fry produced was Calico. We are completely certain that the Metallic parent is definitely Metallic because in previous breeding efforts with other Metallic Pearlscales this fish produced 100% Metallic offspring. This narrows the problematic abnormality to the Calico parent, somehow exhibiting the same breeding pattern as a Matte Pearlscale. Matte Goldfish are usually totally uncoloured with an absence of all pigment and reflective tissue as well as having completely black eyes. Here are some photos of the ‘Calico’ Goldfish in question, affectionately named Jar Jar.
There is an interesting possibility that Jar Jar could be a ‘Coloured Matte’ however he possesses Metallic scales also, potentially making him incredibly unusual. This theory would comply with the established offspring to scale type ratios also.
When deliberating over reasonable conclusions as to why all the offspring fry were Calico, we considered the possibility that half the fry were Metallic and all of them died prematurely. For this to be plausible we would be left with 50% of the entire spawn, which would be noticeably smaller than usual spawns, as well as seeing the original number of fry hatched deplete by half within the first week. Surely we would have noticed such a high premature death rate.
Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate discovering the outcomes that will emerge when the offspring breed together. In speculation, as all the fry are Calico, they will produce 50% Calico, 25% Metallic and 25% Matte offspring. However, if the Coloured Matte theory is correct then the 25% Matte fry produced could potentially be Coloured Mattes. If these Calico offspring were bred to parent Jar Jar would 50% of the spawn be Calico and 50% be Coloured Mattes. Even with all this speculation, the problem remains the same, if Coloured Mattes look the same as Calico fish, how can we be certain?
We will attempt to test these hypotheses and write more about the results. Maybe we are discussing a scale type that doesn’t fit within the existing parameters, or maybe we have made a critical mistake somewhere. Do let us know your thoughts, we are determined to find out!
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