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There have been times when a fish would gulp air over a day or so, and then stop. I would get concerned, and start worrying about it, but when just one fish acts peculiar, I'll just observe for a day or two. Then the behavior stops and I'll stop worrying. I've assumed that the fish had indigestion, or something caught in the gills or throat, or was just feeling frisky. It has not occurred to me that there might be a mild gill infection, maybe because the fish act normal otherwise. ....Next time I'll probably worry more!
The only one I have had engage in this behavior more than a day or so is the Showa I mentioned in reply to Hwong's thread on pond length. She had an intermittent air gulping habit before I got her, and it continued for a period of a few weeks after she arrived. I never inspected her gills. I'd be shocked if she had any sort of infection, simply because her prior owner provides an extraordinary level of care to his fish and regularly examines them, takes scrapings, etc.
I think you are right to question the assumption that it is a benign behavior. It is a reaction to something. Maybe an individual sensitivity to something in the water? ....Perhaps similar to a person who sneezes when a particular perfume is in the air? Something benign generally, but the particular fish are bothered by it. It seems such a fad for people to say they "must be allergic to something", but maybe some koi have mild allergic reactions that affect the gills? If so, that could explain the change in behavior of the Showa better than anything I've thought of so far. But, still just another guess on a list of guesses.
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