P O M    P O M   

Origin - China
Difficulty - Intermediate
Availability - Uncommon (Some variants rare)
Price - Cheap to Moderate
Adult Size - 6 to 8 inches
Scales - Metallic or Nacreous

History & Background

An excellent example of a standard "Chinese" Pom Pom These are referred to by many names ("Pom pon", "Velvet Ball", and "Pon Pon"), but the most common is simply "pom pom", because the balls on their nose look like a cheerleader's pom poms.

The actual Pom Pom balls on their nose are really exaggerated nasal septa...the outer edges of the nose. They have become so exaggerated that the flaps of skin have formed into tight balls. These are referred to as Nasal Bouquets, and they are the defining characteristic of this breed.

The standards for this breed are hard to define, since it is something of a mutt. The only thing they all have in common really are the nasal bouquets. The standard defined here is often referred to as the "Chinese Pom Pom" to distinguish it from other types that have dorsal fins.

Pom Pom's have been heavily hybridized with other breeds into a number of "sport" varieties. These include Orandas, Lionheads, Fantails (all types), Celestials and even common goldfish. The standards discussed here are only for the most common specimens, but there is not really a hard standard yet. The first examples of this breed were seen in the late 1800s, and it began to be exported to the west in the 1930s. Back to Top

Special Care

An example of a non-standard sport type with a dorsal fin Since the nasal bouquets rarely interfere with their vision, they can compete reasonably well for food (as well as a Lionhead anyway). They do better in a heated tank, but can probably tolerate cold water as well as other fancy varieties of goldfish.

The Nasal Bouquets are not as delicate as they look, but could still be damaged by other fish that may nip at them. So Pom Poms should not be kept with aggressive breeds like Ryukins or any other fish that exhibit nipping behavior. Back to Top

Ideal Characteristics

Two excellent example of "Chinese" Pom Poms with Calico coloration Most Pom Poms conform to the standards for the Lionhead body type. An egg shaped body (depth at least 1/2 the length of the body...their bodies are longer than those of a Lionhead) with no dorsal fin. The back is a smooth arch from head to tail, with no bumps or spikes. Their wen development is much less than that of the Lionhead, but they should have a full hood.

The Nasal Bouquets should be uniform size and full, exhibiting a tight spherical appearance. Rounder is better and larger is better. Color should be dense and matching in single colored specimens. Mottled and Calico varieties should match the coloration of the body of the fish.

All fins should be paired, and the Caudal fin should be divided and forked. All fins should have a rounded appearance. There should be no dorsal fin. As with other Goldfish breeds, color saturation of the fins is desired. Fin length seems to vary greatly, but most speciments seem to have fins similar to Bubble Eyes or Lionheads. Back to Top

Known Variants

A non-standard dorsalled variant with striking red and white coloration There are no recongnized variants to the breed, but they have been heavily crossbred into countless sport varieties. There are Telescopes, Orandas, Dragonheads, Lionheads and many others that have Pom Pom nasal bouquets. These are all generally considered sport varieties, and not separate breeds or Pom Pom variants in and of themselves.

The most common of these in recent years are a variety with Dorsal fins, that otherwise look like regular Pom Poms described above. Back to Top