Pearl lives with her father, Mr. Krabs, inside an old anchor. She has the largest brain of any creature in Bikini Bottom, but due to her young age, she remains rather immature and prone to tantrums. Pearl can usually be found at the mall or at school with a group of disloyal fish friends.
The difference in species between Pearl and Mr. Krabs is a central mystery of the SpongeBob series. Her mother has intentionally never been shown, as series creator Stephen Hillenburg is strongly against revealing her identity. Despite this, a 2000 tie-in trivia book features Mr. Krabs telling readers that Pearl “takes after her mother”, confirming that Mrs. Krabs is indeed a whale like Pearl. Fifteen years later, Pearl’s voice actress Lori Alan and Squidward’s voice actor Rodger Bumpass revealed additional details about Mrs. Krabs at a fan convention. Alan clarified that Pearl is indeed Mr. Krabs’ biological daughter and Bumpass suggested that Mrs. Krabs was taken to SeaWorld.