Mutt or what? Koi ID help required

20 years ago

A little background. I have a small 1000 gallon pond in my backyard. A couple years ago there was a knock on my door. It was a neighbour from across the street. She asked me if I was the guy with the pond and I told her I was. She said that her and her husband rescue fish from people who no longer want them. She said they got 6 small koi (3"-4") and they were tearing up their 100 gallon tank. She asked if I would take them off of their hands. After losing my only koi a couple months earlier this was a no brainer. I wintered them in the house and the following spring out to the pond they went. This is their third summer out there. They have done really good and are growing like weeds (5 of them around 12" and one runt) I have done a bit of research with links I have found in this forum and think I have identified a couple but I am not 100% certain. I would appreciate any help. It doesnt matter to me if they are mutts or not, it would just be nice to put names to some if possible.

I believe this one to be a "Kigoi"

I think this one is a "Karasugoi" (all black with an orange belly)

I am thinking "Bekko" for this guy

The following 3 I am a little lost with

This is the runt

And this one

And finally this guy (had a hard time getting a good picture)

Thanks :)

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Comments (14)

surfhead
20 years ago
First pic - Yamabuki

Second pic: Kawarimono

Third pic - mutt, no specific variety...looks like a bekko with a partial matsuba netting to it

fouth: looks like a Doitsu Harawaki???

fifth: Harawaki...might have Dropsy...keep and eye on this one, has it alway been so bloated looking?

sixth: looks like a Sanke. (If there is a black spot on its back then its a Sanke, it its just a shadow and no black, then its a kohaku)
rennee
Original Author
20 years ago
Thank you for the help. I am new to trying to ID these critters. It can be tough LOL. The one you figure might have droopsy, It isnt as bloated as it looks in the pics. I noticed the other day it appeared as it had a curvature of the spine though (seems to distort its looks in pictures) I will keep an eye on it though. The last koi does have a black spot on its back and not a shadow.
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mike_il
20 years ago
I would disagree a little with surfhead. Number one is a Yamabuki and in the picture looks like a Yamabuki Ogon but probably end up be a Yamabuki Matsuba. Number five I think is a poor Kahaku.
Mike
rennee
Original Author
20 years ago
Mike,
Thanks for adding your input. I am slowly starting to understand a little bit of the ID process. It seems as though Koi varieties start with a one word name (Ogon, Bekko, Sanke) Then in some cases a second part is added to describe certain features or color)
ie: Doitsu (scaless or one row of back scales)
Matsuba (a netting effect on the edge of the scales)
Hi (Red)

How am I doing so far? LOL

I do have another question for either of you. As a good example if we look at my number 5 koi (Kohaku) It is white fish with orange markings. Shouldnt they be red markings? Or are red and orange somewhat interchangable? I have seen other examples of koi that have orange instead of red and they carry the same name (Some Sanke for example)

Thanks!
surfhead
20 years ago
The Yamabuki has no sign of a netting for it to be a Kin Matsuba. Its a straight yamabuki ogon.

But your right, the 5th might be a REALLY bad kohaku. Orange harawakis can sometimes look like Kohakus, but given the color and the pattern I'd say I am 80% certain this is a Harawaki. Hi (pronounced Hee) is the term for "red" but this red can come in many tones from a deep tomato red to a light orangish red.
mike_il
20 years ago
Yes I would agree with you that right now it doesn't have the netting pattern but it is a small fish and I would say that it has a very good chance of developing that pattern as the fish gets large.
Mike
goodkarma_
20 years ago
Kin Ki Matsubas rock! Hope the fish in pic #1 turns out to be one as Mike suggests. I have a very faded one, but still a pretty fish. Really enjoyed the pics. Which one is your favorite?
rennee
Original Author
20 years ago
I really don't have a favorite but the guy in pic #1 is slowly becoming my favorite. He is pretty much king of the pond and does what he wants. He doesnt pick on the other fish (They all get along great) He just swims around like he owns the place LOL. I am getting close to having him eat out of my hand as well. The others come rushing in but are a tad skittish once my hand goes into the water.
kevip711
20 years ago
Are you keeping them in the walmart above ground pool?? I dont think they will make it there for very long..
kevip711
20 years ago
Or is this the quarentine tank?
rennee
Original Author
20 years ago
Kevin,

No, I'm not keeping them in that pool (it is actually a 500 gallon swimming pool)

I had them in there when I did some work on my pond. They were only in there for 4 hours.
kevip711
20 years ago
Ok, I have a matsuba but his wonderful markings on the sides kinda faded. ;( was perfect fish when I picked him up. Also have had problem with black in my pond. My little showa is losing one of his spots.. ?? The black just kinda fades away, I guess its my water..
fong_11
20 years ago
it could also be the food...cause my one male..I believe he was a sanke was loosing his black and I changed food and his black started to come back but then he jumped out of my pond and I lost him.

I'm gonna post a pic of my female and the other male I have cause I'm having problems IDing them cause I didn't get them from a store, I got the from my grandfather who was a koi breeder for a while until someone poisoned his water and he lost all his koi...and they were all huge; the biggest one was almost 3 feet.
tuder96
18 years ago
Ok folks now you want to make me get in and get some picts of my Koi to have you look at and ID. Very hard to catch for sure but I do have a gold one like in the first pict and a couple silver ones that are more irradesent I do have a black and silver butterfly with very nice markings
How do I post pict on here?