how to get a good shiro ?

[mike]

the reddish mark near the glare should be some sort of flare/glare from the camera ... not on the fish.

[Maurice]

8" Seki, photo taken in Japan a few years back. With his stock and parents gone, he perhaps would like this one back to remake some of his line.


Maurice.

[Brian]

Quote: Originally Posted by Maurice 8" Seki, photo taken in Japan a few years back. With his stock and parents gone, he perhaps would like this one back to remake some of his line.

I like the oyabone on this one Maurice. Got a picture of how the motoguro turned out? I'll bet it's nice and tight now.

[Andrew]

Some nice shiro's here ;-)

http://www10.ocn.ne.jp/~omosako/show2.html

[Andrew]

A couple of pics that tell a tale.

The first is the polaroid of a few shavers purchased at Seki's in mid 90's. Note the central one pointing straight down in the pic. The other pic is this shiro in 2002, size 6 taking best shiro in show (regardless of size) at the BKKS National in '02.
She's alive and well today, over 30 inches but her show career is over.

[Maurice]

Brian, you've seen this koi before, this is a photo taken 2 days ago.


Maurice.

[GazKoi]

Well i would like to think mine would come out like that but a little too small to second guess LOL....Mine is just so i can watch and learn from and see what happens as i have not grown on any koi from this size before.

[MikeM]

So many beautiful Shiros! I've been studying them for nearly an hour, losing track of time.

JR: I think that is a fantastic koi. It is certainly not finishing too young, but so much deep, perfect Sumi at, maybe, 14"? All those windows and gaps will fill-in, I'm sure, but I think it may take a long time. She shouts future growth with those shoulders .... BUT what is she? Behind the head the almost Kage-effect speaks Utsuri, but the rest of the Sumi says Bekko. The Sumi is along the dorsal plane, not rising up from the belly. There are petite (and pretty) stripes in the pectorals, not Motoguru. The body shape is very high class ... sanke-like. Not many Shiro Utsuri have that shape. ..... Some time ago we & Brady discussed how the crossing of Showa with Sanke is leading to the creation of what is a third Sanshoku. This black & white you have posted is combining the best of Shiro Utsuri with the best of Bekko (a/k/a Sanke without Hi). It is a "Black Kohaku". If we played with the computer to convert the black to red, it could be a Torazo or Nogami Kohaku, I think. But, then we would be seeing fading Hi where we "know" Sumi will arise in the years to come. The pattern is not Utsuri. It is a Kohaku pattern. I would love to have that fish. .... Who is the breeder?

BTW, imagine how she would lose so much of her charm if she did not have Sumi on her head?

[James P]

Mike, you are indeed getting good! This is certainly a super shiro and the maruzomi sumi is an early first of its kind! This is the early breeding of a Japanese master breeder who offered to buy this fish back at the value of a full grown kohaku! The orange fleck , by the way, is just from the flash. JR

[MikeM]

Comparing the Shiro Utsuri posted by Maurice and the "Bekko Utsuri" ( ) posted by JR is very instructive, I think. Both have wonderful Sumi and there is something of a maruzome effect in Maurice's as well. I would love to see JR's at the same age. While the bodies may differ in styling, the pigments are very alike in their strength. The patterning is completely different. There is no Utsuri patterning in JR's, while Maurice's is definitely Utsuri pattern. However, as you study Maurice's, notice how tight the Sumi is. Even the Motoguro has a painted-on look about it. That is not the free flowing Sumi typical of an Utsuri pattern. It has a "frozen" look to it. ....That is not a criticism! Look closely and the Sumi has come in like that of Bekko, but with a solidity not often seen in Bekko.

Two very different fish with very different visual impacts, but so alike in some ways. The breeders are on a parallel genetic journey, but with different eyes. Black & Whites for whatever your taste in pattern.