| Really? female uh? I'm a little surprised. But then again, always humbled by koi. They have a way of doing that---
The journey of sexing koi-
*Beginner- clueless and could care less
*The intermediate keeper- only female will due, not exactly sure why but that is what the advanced guys recommend so, when in Rome-----
* The advanced keeper- ONLY females will do and only of gosanke variety. Elitism 'can creep in here--. But everything is known about sexing koi from tell tale signs in the skin, to the pimples to the fins, to the belly,to color finish and characteristics of shiroji, to the vent. There is a belief that they, or their dealer certainly, can sex even 'eggs' perfectly. The confidence is intoxicating---
* the humbled koi keeper- gosanke are honored for what they are- the creme de la creme. But old varieties are also amazing in their own right. Size is nice but the 'full package' of shape, color characteristics, quality and pattern is better.
As for sexing koi, it is an educated guess in juvenile fish, a detective exercise really. A collection of pieces of evidence that weight the decision in one direction or another. And because they are living things, variation in sexual maturation is highly variable. Some males are obvious and some females are obvious and then the gradations towards androgynous fill the middle until sexual maturity.
The advanced keeper who was an expert is once again a student-- A 'beginner' all over again, only this time, with a significant amount of experience and knowledge.
JR |