Selecting Young Koi – The Art of Gambling

 

Mike Harvey

 

This article was written many years ago – but much still applies today. Apologies for the poor quality of some photos!
Photos in some areas have been reversed to get patterns to align up correctly for comparison purposes.

 

One of the challenges any koi keeper faces is what to look for when buying a young koi. For the most part, what I have to say here relates principally to choosing one year old koi - “tosai”, but in many instances can be applied to nisai (two year old koi) and possibly even some “ sansai” ( three year old koi).

Before even looking at any young koi, any koi keeper needs to make a few basic decisions which will impact what koi to look at and what to choose.

“Show Koi, Future Show Koi or Pond Koi - it’s your decision”

Are you intending to enter the koi on a koi show in the near future or ever at all?

If your answer is yes you want to show the koi at a show that same year, then you will be looking for a koi that has already developed its bright colouration, has an attractive pattern and reasonable body shape. At all Koi Shows the judges judge the koi based on the state of finish on the day of judging, taking no account of that koi’s future potential. In all likelihood you will then be selecting a male koi for this purpose as male koi reach their best state of finish much earlier than do female koi. The trade off here is that you will be buying a koi that may do well as a tosai at this year’s show, but in most instances will not develop further and over time will most likely never achieve anything further at future shows.

If your answer was that you don’t intend to show the koi, then again, I would suggest that you select a koi for the future rather than one with fully developed bright colouration. After all you want to see the koi develop over time and remain in your pond for years to come. Buying a “finished “ koi means you run the risk of it losing its qualities over a shorter period of time.

Finally, for those of you who want to buy a koi that you hope will develop over time and reach its potential in the future years and hopefully show on a koi show, you need to understand a few facts about tosai. Buying tosai can be a bit of a gamble and generally you get what you pay for.

But with a bit of experience, you can improve your odds on selecting a winner in the future.

Buying any tosai is a bit of a gamble. No two koi develop the same way, what appears to be a show quality koi for the future may well be a disappointment and never reach the “hoped for” quality. By the same token what looks to be an “ugly duckling” as a tosai could become the show winner in the future. But just as a gambler will assess his cards and come to a decision on the chances of his having a winning hand, so too should a koi keeper assess the quality of the koi he is considering buying and decide whether it is worthwhile taking the risk or looking for something else.

But what do you look for when assessing the quality of the koi and their future potential in order to reduce the odds of buying a koi that will not develop in the future? If you are inexperienced in buying tosai then the first bit of advice I would give is to ask someone you believe does have the necessary experience. This may be a fellow koi hobbyist who has years of experience in selecting young koi, or it may be a breeder or dealer in koi. If you don’t know a koi hobbyist with such experience then my advice to you would be to rely on the judgement of the dealer or breeder you trust and have a relationship with. Regrettably the koi industry, as with any other business sector, has its reputable people and those that will simply sell you anything, promising the world for the sake of a sale, knowing that you are inexperienced and unlikely to be able to challenge him.

Having someone you can trust to give you an honest assessment will in most instances be as a result of your being a regular customer of that dealer or breeder. After all that dealer or breeder knows you will be back in the future and will want to retain you as a regular customer into the future. The advantage of having a good relationship with a dealer, and more particularly the breeder, is that that person will have seen many of that breeder’s koi and will know how those koi are more likely to develop in the future.

You get what you pay for. In the world of koi this is generally true-but always with the proviso that you are dealing with a reputable dealer or breeder. When buying tosai there will be the odd occasion when you spot a koi which is an absolute bargain. Breeders can only hold back a certain number of koi they believe will im-prove if put back in the mud dams to grow on for another year.

If they have a good spawning with good quality being produced, they cannot grow on more than they can cope with and so some of the really good ones will have to be sold. Often dealers buy a large quantity from a specific breeder and amongst these there could well be a few jewels of the future. But if you are buying koi at commercial grade prices you should not expect too much from these koi in the future. They may be great pond koi if that is what you are interested in, but for show quality koi you are unlikely to find many amongst the lower priced koi.

SO WHAT SHOULD A HOBBYIST BE LOOKING FOR IN TOSAI ?

Accepting then that buying tosai is a bit of a gamble and that in general you get what you pay for, what should a hobbyist be looking for when selecting tosai for their future potential?

Quite clearly the answer to this depends much on the specific variety you are considering. I do not intend covering each variety specifically here. But there are some general guidelines which I follow and would sug-gest you take into your considerations.

A. BODY SHAPE AND STRUCTURE.

This is not something which can easily be expressed in words. Assessing the body shape is something which is only gained with experience and by comparing a number of koi in a bowl so that your eye for the differences in shape develops over time.

Assessing the body shape of a tosai and predicting how it will develop over the years is more difficult than assessing the body shapes of mature koi. However, there are again some guidelines which may assist in reaching a more likely and accurate prediction.

A strong backbone. A tosai with a strong nicely arched backbone will be able to support the body volume which one desires in mature koi. A tosai which has a flatter backbone will be unable to support this volume in the future and in all probability that koi will develop with a “pot – belly”.

A thick peduncle. A tosai with a thick peduncle indicates that it will develop a powerful and impressive body shape and swimming motion. As a koi uses its tail for propulsion, if the peduncle is thin it will have less power to move forward and its swimming motion will appear awkward and laboured.

The widest part of the body should be just behind the rear point of the pectoral fins and before the dorsal fin when viewed from above. If the widest point is closer to the head the koi will appear to have a very slender body shape. If the widest point is further back than this imaginary point the koi will appear to have a “rugby ball” shape.

A broad but long head and a large mouth. A broad head indicates the koi can develop and maintain pro-portions as it grows and its body volume increases. A wide mouth is indicative of a koi with good growth potential.

The length of the koi should be considered- a short body length will develop into a koi with a plump stunted appearance. A koi with a very long and slender body is likely to be a male. But if a choice has to be made, I would go for the slenderer bodied koi ahead of any stunted body shape.

Taking all of the above into consideration the koi should have a gradual taper from the head to the tail, much like a cigar shape.

Pectoral fins are part of the body and should be studied carefully. Pectoral fins should be nicely rounded rather than sickle shaped. A point to remember when looking at the pectoral fins is that these fins are the most difficult area of the koi for the colour pigments to build up on. Therefore, by way of example, if there is good sumi in the pectoral fins (“motoguro” in Showa and small stripes called “tejima” in Sanke), this will indicate that the sumi is likely to be stable, even if it is still submerged on the body. Similarly a small amount of thick strong hi appearing tightly in the base of the pectoral fins would indicate potentially stable hi. But do not make the mistake of confusing this with weak or faded orange hi appearing elsewhere on fins which indicates poor quality

Check that the koi is symmetrical on both sides across the length and width of the body. Any deviations from this symmetry would indicate a serious problem like a deformity or tumour. Also look for any indentations, especially around the head area, or any other deformities such as curving ends to the gill plates, deformity of the mouth, or fin bones, etc. If these are evident then avoid purchasing that koi as these problems will become even more apparent as the koi grows.

As most of us want to buy females it must be remembered that determining the sex of a tosai is very difficult, even for the breeder of the koi. There are some indicators which point to, but certainly don’t confirm, the sex in a tosai.

B. QUALITY OF COLOUR AND SKIN

The White

When looking at the white skin in any tosai, there are a number of aspects which I look at and take into consideration depending on the variety. Firstly I look at the shade of white- is it a bright stark snow white, is it a deep thick, milky white, is it a yellowish white? In Kohaku and Sanke I will generally always select a tosai with a deep thick milky white or a stark snow white. I would tend to avoid selecting a Kohaku or Sanke with any yellowish white. In Showa I would also prefer these attributes but would take a chance on one without these attributes if the hi and sumi appeared to be very good, especially the hi. When it comes to Shiro Utsuri it is a little more difficult. I would certainly select a Shiro Utsuri with a deep thick milky white and good sumi. But I would not dismiss any Shiro Utsuri with a more yellow tinge to the white- depending on the breeder of that koi. In my experience some Shiro Utsuri from certain Japanese breeders and a number of local breeders here in South Africa have this characteristic yellow tinge to the whites as tosai and even some as nisai, but this develops over time into a superb thick snow white skin. By way of example, I have selected some tosai Shiro Utsuri from Knysna Koi with a distinct yellowness to the white, only to see these transform into koi with a pure white skin which is absolutely superb. And I have seen many others from this farm do likewise at friends who have grown on their Shiro Utsuri. Although I can understand the reluctance to select any tosai with a yellowish white skin I would suggest that hobbyist take a leap of faith and try for themselves. Of course, it is always helpful to know the breeder of a specific koi and how that breeder’s koi develop over time.

The Hi

The quality of the Hi is in my view one of the most critical aspects of selecting any tosai Gosanke. and perhaps it is one of the areas where, with a little understanding of what to look for, even the less experienced hobbyist can make an informed selection. In order to be in a position to assess the quality of the hi one needs to understand some basics.

Kiwa- in basic language, this is the edge of a colour (e.g. hi) on the tail- end (posterior) of that colour pattern where it meets the ground colour (e.g. white).

Sashi – again in basic language, this is the edge of a colour on the head –end (anterior) of that colour pattern where it meets the ground colour. It is deep underlying red scales covered by a white scale- so appears blurred.

The laws of Dr Tsai, a famous Taiwanese breeder are well worth remembering when selecting tosai. In basic terms Dr. Tsai stated that, genetically, hi is stronger on the front head side of a koi and weakest at the tail end of a koi. The reverse is true for sumi, which is genetically stronger at the tail end and weaker towards the head. Thus one can expect to see the hi fading first in the tail area of a koi, and the sumi developing later on the head area.

Armed with an understanding of Kiwa, Sashi and the laws of Dr. Tsai, and applying these to what to look for, the following is my advice to hobbyists on assessing hi quality when selecting tosai gosanke:

Look for sharp kiwa, not only on the tail end of the hi pattern, but also on the sides of the hi pattern. If the kiwa is not sharp and appears to be blurring into the white the hi quality is unlikely to be good as the koi de-velops.

Look for sashi, preferably no more than one scale in extent.

Check that the hue of the hi is even throughout the length of the body, that there are no weaknesses appearing within the hi pattern itself.

I pay special attention to the quality of the last patch of hi before the tail. This is where you get a clue to the hi quality. Good hi will be thick deep hi – almost such that you can hardly see the individual scales, with good kiwa and possibly some sashi. If the kiwa is poor I would leave this koi out of my selection.

Look for a thick orange hi rather than a bright red. The orange hi will develop over time into a bright red. If it is bright red already it is more likely to deteriorate early and is most probably a male.

The Sumi

There is an old saying that “you buy for the white and the hi and you bet on the sumi”. This is very true when buying tosai, as the sumi tends to develop and stabilise much later as the koi matures. In tosai you will often find that much of the sumi is either submerged (revealing itself as a grey black beneath the skin) or is superficial (perhaps best described as appearing as if the skin has been over-sprayed with a dull thin layer of sumi). Whilst the submerged sumi may well emerge and become stable deep sumi, my experience has been that not all visibly submerged sumi comes up to the surface where it initially appears. Hence the idea that you “bet on the sumi”. Superficial sumi is just that- it is only on the top surface of the skin and will disappear as the koi matures. The difficulty here is that we often don’t know what lies beneath this superficial sumi. Sometimes where there is hi beneath the sumi this can be detected as the sumi has a distinct orange tinge to it when looked at closely. In other instances, you may be able to detect some white spaces between the sumi scales indicating that there is white beneath the superficial sumi. So how then do you try to assess the sumi quality in a tosai? There are some pointers but it must be stressed that these are not fool proof ways of predicting future sumi development and quality- they are purely indicators of what may be.

Try to find some sumi that has surfaced and is deep and thick in the skin, as opposed to being superficial sumi lying on the top of the surface. Sumi sashi is a good example of deep and thick sumi. This sumi will tend also to be glossy in appearance when it is at the surface of the skin, rather than extremely thin and dull on the top of the skin. If there is some area where the sumi is either glossy and thick or there is sumi sashi this indicates good quality sumi that should develop well in the future.

You will find some koi that show no superficial sumi but all the sumi is submerged just below the sur-face of the skin and no sashi sumi at all. In this instance look for some other indicators of the sumi quality/ stability such as motoguro on the pectoral fins, sumi in the mouth.

Motoguro that is strong at the base of the pectoral fins indicates potentially good stable sumi. Where the entire fin is black, this should contract over time to form a tighter ball of sumi at the base of the pectoral fin. The thicker and more consolidated the sumi is on the pectoral fin the better the sumi quality is likely to be.

Sumi in the mouth is another indicator that the sumi is more likely to develop as the koi matures. But this requires holding the koi firmly to look into the mouth and should only be done if experienced in holding koi out of the water and with the dealer/ breeder’s consent

Again, if one holds the koi in two hands and gently bends the koi slightly one can see if the sumi is thick and consolidated. If large areas of white are visible then the sumi may either need to develop further or may indicate it is thin and superficial. Only do this if experienced and with the breeders/ dealer’s consent. Handling koi in this manner is not recommended however as it is stressful for the koi.

Tejima, which are narrow stripes of sumi in the pectoral fins of Sanke and Bekko, are indicative of good stable sumi in Sanke and Bekko, particularly where the sumi stripes are strong and deep black.

Bear in mind Dr. Tsai’s theory on sumi. The sumi will develop strongly on the tail end of the koi and is likely only to develop towards (and on) the head area as it matures.

Often one can see signs of sub-merged sumi on the head, which will only surface over time- and not always in the same places on the head as it appears when submerged. So do not be concerned with the sumi being submerged on the head of a tosai, but preferably look for some signs that this sumi will develop on the head as it matures. Often tosai have very yellow heads and there is only a hint of sumi on the head. If you know the breeder and his koi clean up nicely as they mature then this shouldn’t be a major deterrent in selecting a koi with otherwise excellent body, and sumi etc. If you are unsure of the breeder, I would be cautious and select those that have good white and good sumi.

The photograph below is of a Sakuma Showa which the breeder rated as a tategoi. The sumi is still sub-merged but it is well known that the sumi in Sakuma Showa only develops fully when the koi is about 3 years old.

Unfortunately the photograph is not that clear but one can see that the white on the body is very good. What seems to be a bit of yellowing on the nose is in fact the bone showing through the skin which still has to thicken and will then appear as white as it is on the body. The kiwa is good and there is motoguro in the pectoral fins. The only concern I would have is that the hi appears to be rather bright rather than being the orange red which would develop into the future, but this may be a result of the light when photographed. Despite this concern the hi is very thick and one cannot in this photograph discern the individual scales. The body shape is good.

One can easily see the sumi submerged on both the head and on the body which will over a period of a few years develop fully. Sakuma Showa are known for their excellent sumi when mature but it takes a few years to achieve its finished state. Therefore, the fact that the sumi is submerged and very sparse at this time is not a concern to me at all. But without this history of how Sakuma Showa develop a hobbyist might well have thought this Showa had no real future because of the sumi.

Koi can change and develop as they mature – but not in every instance. Some improve and some deteriorate.

The Showa in the photographs below had superficial Sumi a t 18 cm. This disappeared as the Showa matured revealing an excellent white skin beneath it. (The sumi developed further and consolidated as the koi grew.)

This Kinginrin Sanke had visible but submerged sumi as a tosai (photo on the left). The white was excellent and the hi a typical thick orange hi- ideal in a tosai. Body shape was also good.

As this koi matured the sumi emerged in some of the same places but not in others (see on shoulder area before the dorsal there was submerged sumi but this never surfaced) Note how the orange hi developed into a brighter darker red hue. Interestingly a tejima stripe in the pectoral developed as it matured

 

 SANKE

Below: The sumi on this Sanke developed much later than usual.

 

 SHOWA

Showa Development: Note how the sumi developed on this Showa between ages 2 and 4 years old.

 

 Showa development: At 16 cm this Showa had very little sumi visible- see how it emerges as it grows.

 

KOHAKU

Below: A good example of a Kohaku as a tosai- orange hi and good kiwa. This develops into a bright red hi and excellent white with sharp kiwa still at 33 cms. Note how the pattern has broken into two parts on the left hand side.

 

SHIRO UTSRUI

The Shiro Utsuri below was given to me by Phillip Muller in October 2000 – just 9 months later in July 2001 note how the sumi had come up and developed, especially on the head. Note also the yellow head on this Shiro as a tosai and how it changes 9 months later.

These photographs taken from the excellent book Kokugyo Vol. 2 – Nishikigoi Development”by Mamoro Kodama show just how the sumi in Shiro Utsuri can develop over time.

From a bald white head and rather sparse small sumi spots, this Shiro Utsuri has transformed into a stunning one with yet more potential to develop further in the future- see underlying sumi on the shoulder and sashi sumi. Right: Compare the sumi positions and development from age 2 to age 4. Note there was underlying sumi on the left rear side which came out at 3 years old. Note the yellowish head at age 2 changes and at age 4 the sumi starts to develop on the head area.

 

 

The Development of Other Varieties and what to look for in tosai