Is there a difference between Kohaku and Sanke eyes...

[aquitori]

Myth busters out there, I have one question for you all...Is there a difference between Kohaku and Sanke eyes?...I heard this from several people and I want to get the lowdown on it..

[elunned]

There is a difference. I have a thread saved off the NI board from April of 2004 in which JR posted a number of photos showing the difference between kohaku eyes and sanke eyes. (Unfortunately, nothing on that board is archived.) A typical sanke eye has a 'silver fern' pattern surrounding the pupil and a sky blue eye lid. Because high quality kohaku lack the ability to produce melanin, the eye tissue surrounding the pupil is plain and the eye lid clear white. A koi that might be correctly benched as a 'kohaku' could have sanke genes - and the eye appearance is a good indicator of what you might expect as the koi matures. Kohaku with sanke backgrounds are much more prone to develop shimmis.

[dick benbow]

Easiest way to tell is to look down on the koi as if your checking out the pattern. now look at the head and the top of the eye balls where it goes into the head. A clear eye cere is kohaku/ a black cast is sanke