Rare koi pattern

[OTp1144]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but koi are cold water fish...

Anyway, we got a very unique patterned koi at work this week. It's an utsuri with two different sumi (base color)! I've never seen one like this before.

 

[kendragon]

Looks more like a showa to me.

 

[OTp1144]

Looks more like a showa to me.

I guess it does meet the definition of a showa... red/orange and white with black bands... I've just never seen one with that patter of orange and white before. I mean it literally looks like someone dipped it in paint. lol

 

[kendragon]

Showa is related to Utsuri.....black base. You can see it through the skin and head. Another Showa give away is the black tail and fins. If it didn't have the red it would be black base and white (Shiro Utsuri). Sumi is refered to black marking. Hi is refered to red marking.
This koi is still small. Chances are it will lose the Hi and become a nice shiro utsuri. Sumi is nicely spaced. Very fun to watch the change.

 

[OTp1144]

Thanks for the insight. I didn't realize that much hi could disappear as a fish aged. I know they can change their patterns, but didn't think that much. I have one that started as a chagoi and is now so dark it might as well be a magoi. Got another that started as a very faint ki matsuba is now turning to a faint hi matsuba. But completely losing all hi, that's impressive.

Talking about shiro utsuri, I actually sold a gin rin butterfly today. It was an absolutely GORGEOUS fish! Still is, just not at our store. lol

 

[kendragon]

When long fins (hybrid) first was introduced they were not allowed in shows. Crying out loud, all kois are hybrids. Today they are accepted and has it's own class. Gin Rin (diamond scale) are very attractive.

 

[OTp1144]

Crying out loud, all kois are hybrids.

I love sharing this fact with people who come in to the store and ask about breeding. Mainly that if koi are left to breed by themselves, they will revert back to natural carp colors after 3 generations.

 

[kendragon]

Controlled breeding is a must if you want to maintain quality but even so out of the hundreds per spawn only a few are worth keeping.
I don't know about reverting back to carp but I know many are fugly. I know people who have never added new koi in their pond for 20years and year after year it gets weirder and weirder due to inbreeding. Can you say "short body".
Chagoi is probably the closest to the carp. Doitsu Chagoi very similar to the german carp

 

[MN_Rebel]

I love sharing this fact with people who come in to the store and ask about breeding. Mainly that if koi are left to breed by themselves, they will revert back to natural carp colors after 3 generations.

they don't always revert back to natural carp. There are few lakes that hold a feral populations of koi carps near us and I do not see any common carps in these lakes.