| For a picture, check out the last page of the thread entitled "Showa In Warm Climates" (now on page 3 of the forum directory). A grand one is posted by dbth.
When the time comes I'm looking for a Shiro Utsuri, I'll want to look first at the body shape. Shiros seem to suffer from having weak/thin back halves of their bodies... almost as if the front half was taken from a large fish and the back half from a different fish 3 sizes smaller. It does seem to me that these are the ones that always have the most attractive patterns! LOL.
Next, I'll want some reliable basis to believe the Shiro will be as white as possible. This is a tough one, because many of the best Shiro Utsuri are yellowish when young and even mature ones are often yellowish when taken out of a mud pond. So, much reliance may have to be placed on the reputation of the breeder. Which means, you have to have confidence in the dealer who says a particular fish is from a particular breeder.... so much has to be taken on faith.
Third is the quality of the Sumi.... not the amount. Some place on the fish you want to see the thick, shiny black of Sanke/Bekko ... like in dbth's Shiro Utsuri. I describe it as chips of black overlying one another, rather than being like watercolors pooling along the edge of a scale.
Last is pattern, but this is my downfall !! For a black & white fish, to my eye, pattern is more important than in other varieties.
So ..... all I want is great body, perfect white, lacquer black and eyecatching pattern! Maybe someday I'll be willing to spend the amount it takes to get all 4 in one fish!
....Actually, if you are willing to stock males, I do see some nice ones listed on the internet by dealers in the U.S. and U.K. And, the prices for some really nice looking ones are not too expensive, and males do not suffer from the body conformation problems to the same extent as females. |