Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Pompom Goldfish

Carassius auratus

Also called Pompon, Hanafusa (dorsal-finned Japanese form), Velvet ball, Pompom oranda

VarietyShort profile

From China. The variety is recorded there from around the turn of the 20th century and later reached Japan, where the form with a dorsal fin is called hanafusa.1 2

At a glance the quick version

Sizesmall

Charming nasal pompons that bob as the fish swims

Rare novelty variety that stands out in any collection

Breeds true to type

2 1

Looks how to spot one

Scaled, egg-shaped fancy goldfish with nasal pompons

A short, rounded goldfish whose signature feature is a pair of soft, frilly tufts growing from the nostrils, one on each side of the head. The tufts can be modest or large enough to reach past the mouth. Most show fish have no dorsal fin and a paired tail, though a dorsal-finned form exists, and the scales may be metallic or nacreous.1 2 3

Coloursredorangeyellowbluebrownblackvariegatedcalico2 1

Personality what they are like

A calm fancy goldfish that suits a quiet tank with other gentle, round-bodied goldfish. The show standard asks for an alert, lively fish.2 4

Daily activity how busy a day looks

A relaxed swimmer with a short, round body. It does best with open swimming space and company that is not too fast at feeding time.2 3

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Keep in a filtered coldwater tank kept at roughly 10 to 21 C, with weekly partial water changes of about 30% using dechlorinated water. Goldfish in general are comfortable in a pH of about 6 to 8.5 4

Home where they are happiest

An indoor aquarium fish rather than a pond fish. The RSPCA advises at least 60 litres per goldfish, a good filter, and no bowls or small novelty tanks. Smooth decor avoids snagging the delicate pompons.5

Food basics what goes in the bowl

An omnivore. Goldfish eat small invertebrates, plant matter and detritus in nature, so a quality goldfish food plus some vegetable matter and small live or frozen foods works well.4

Company who they like around

Sociable. Goldfish do best in groups, and pompoms are best kept with other slow, fancy varieties.4

The story where it all began

Pompoms are an old Chinese variety, recorded from about 1898 to 1900 depending on the source. Fish were exported from Shanghai to the UK in 1936 and were also exhibited in Paris. Once fashionable, they are now rarely seen for sale in Britain.1 2

Fun facts for the dinner table

1
The name comes from the decorative woolly balls once worn on clothing, which the nasal tufts resemble.2
2
The pompons are enlarged growths of the nasal septum, the thin wall between the nostrils.1
3
In the Far East the dorsal-less form is called the velvet ball eggfish, while the Japanese form with a dorsal fin is the hanafusa.2
4
The first pompoms reached the UK in 1936, shipped from Shanghai.1

Recognised by the official bits

goldfish-types.info (UK show standard): Published standard: body about half as deep as it is long, no dorsal fin, divided forked tail held above the horizontal, minimum body length 5.5 cm, and well developed nasal pompons that match in size and shape2
Taxonomy: Fancy variety of the domestic goldfish, described as close to the eggfish but with greatly enlarged nasal septa3

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Pompom Goldfish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

Feedingevery day
Water changeAbout 25 to 30% of the waterevery week
Water testevery week
Glass cleanevery week
Filter rinseevery month

Start a free diary

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

Wikipedia: Pompom (goldfish) en.wikipedia.orgused for names, origin, history, nasal outgrowths, scale types, hanafusa form
goldfish-types.info: Pompon goldfish-types.infoused for show standard, colours, name origin, rarity in UK, history date
Wikipedia: List of goldfish varieties en.wikipedia.orgused for classification, relation to eggfish
FishBase: Carassius auratus fishbase.seused for water pH, diet, social needs
RSPCA: Fish environment rspca.org.ukused for tank size, temperature, filtration, water changes

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.