[lildude]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bob Winkler Ok... some pix that hopefully illustrate some good and bad points of koi shapes from JR's posts on Conformation. 1st-Let's focus on discerning some not quite so ideal conformation. While these are mostly fairly nice koi, see if you can pick out exactly what I am thinking of as not quite the ideal. Some pix are easier than others. To keep you on your toes and challenge you a little bit, I mixed in some pictures of koi with what I consider very very good conformation. Hint: Use JR's post, and also think along the lines of "for their age and sex". You may already know this, but to make viewing the pictures easier, download them all to their own file folder, and then view as a filmstrip in that file. Easier to look at the group and bounce between them. If you prefer, I can give you the answers. I am one who firmly believes that we do not learn or retain as much without venturing out there a little bit. . Your choice. If it is a good conformation, that is all you need to say, but if you wanna live on the edge and go for the A.P. college credit in Conformation 401, try and say how old you think the koi is at the picture time, and whether you think they are male or female. Score well grasshoppa, and you will be ready for semester 2. and I might even answer your most burning and repeated question if you haven't already found out the answer. Points if you repeat it (the question) one more time along with your answers. But then I never want to hear you speak of it again Actually either way....LOL.. ok, ok.. I need to get a life, really...LOL To Identify pictures, please use a Letter for the row Top to Bottom, and a number for the picture when reading right to left . Example. The first picture in the series is a Purachina and it would be picture # A1, and the cow with the pretty painted fish on the side is picture B5. Got it? Please no hints from the peanut gallery b4 Grasshoppa answers, but after that please feel free put your two (or eleven) cents in. Enjoy the book Seito. But please remember the old cliche' "a shooting star is often one that burns too hot and too bright". It doesn't last. LOL.. Private "old man's" Joke Slow and Steady wins the race.

Ok here is what I think YO!

1. D2: this sanke is pretty excellent. It ranks top in my mind. Extremely thick caudal area (tail tube), Very thick body, Awesome Bone structure to support all that thickness!
2. A4: Head is a bit too long, but its head does fit the body, its tail tube is nice and thick. Its bone structure is great. The body looks very robust.

• D5: The best Conformation

4. B3: This koi is pretty good, it does look like a young fish though. Its conformation is a little off, but it is over all pretty good.
5. D3: This Showa-sanke can’t tell the difference, is really good, the Conformation to the length of the head is great, and in proportion, but the width of the head is imperfect, it is off by a bit, so the sanke/showa’s conformation is pretty good overall.
6. A2: Upper Asagi in the picture. It is hard to tell but it looks great from what I can see. The head looks like it fits the body very well.
7. C4: I think its head is a little narrow, but the over all package is superb.
8. D1: Even though I cannot see the entire fish itself, the head is great, and where it connects is almost perfect, I would like to see this one have a bit of a bigger mouth though.
9. B2: Conformation is acceptable, but the head is a bit too long.
10. B4: the koi’s overall conformation is pretty good, but the head screws it up a bit in my mind, it is as almost the head was put on incorrectly, but everything else is pretty good.
11. A5: Conformation is a little out of whack but its probably going to be good, the head is big on a small koi, I think its proportion will go better in the future.
12. A1: The way this photo is taken it is very hard indeed to judge this, but if it were taken better, it would have ranked higher.
13. A3: The body thickness is pretty good, but its head is far too small for the body, it looks like a fat trunk getting rapidly smaller at the head.
14. C1: This tancho shusui is really skinny, it is lacking food or sick, its conformation is just inferior to the others, It pretty much resembles me, Long and skinny, though I will fill out, This tancho shusui will not.


Please let me know if there are any missing