Judging hikarimoyo..for the sake of learning.

[Brutuscz]

Here are 5 koi in the Hikarimono class. 2 Kujaku, 2 hariwake and 1 doitsu kujaku. For the sake of learning...judge them and give opinions. These are my favorite type of threads..it's where we learn what to look for in different varieties. Thanks for the education guys!!!

[Super Kindai]

From left : 2, 4, 5, 1, 3 /or 3 (Doitu) is disqualify

I would like to hear JR' opinion about 2 & 4

[MikeM]

Slightly different opinion: 2, 4, 1, 5, 3.

[dick benbow]

I would need to see the koi in the "flesh", as all hikari need to have a strong sheen which is not discernable on pictures and really are what we're looking for in this color category......

[Super Kindai]

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeM Slightly different opinion: 2, 4, 1, 5, 3.

Hi, Mike. I was worried about the shape of the right side cheek on 1.....deformation ??

[JasPR]

Right. Two and four are the top fish. They have luster, solid patterns, they are 'clean' and free from tarnish and dark markings and the patterns are well balanced. Number 2 fish is damaged but we’ll call that shipping damage. If we call it a scar, it loses to fish number four. Number four is weak in the last step pattern and that is hard to overlook in this class of fish.But still these two are the strong competitors in this field of five. Honestly I’d have to see number 2 and number 4 in the light to determine who has best metallic sheen.
Number one fish has body confirmation problems for such a young fish. This is unfortunately a big negative. The tail is thin and the pattern depth is weak. Young fish like this are not expected to have big female bodies, they are expected to have normal bodies. This fish has an egg belly or is just overfed and should not look this way for a fish of this size.
Number three fish is ‘mis benched’ as it has no luster at all The name of the game is Hikari moyo, so it is D’Qed.
Number five fish has luster but it also has serious pattern problems. The small islands of pattern and messy nose and the overall thinness of pattern is a strong mark down in baby koi that really depend heavily on pattern.
So my picks are- 2, 4 , 5, 1 ( 3 disqualified)

[Brutuscz]

Let me clear up a few things. #1..egg belly, looks ready to pop soon. #2..not a scar on the head..actually some white pattern. #4,5 ..what you said is accurate. #3...I thought it was a doitsu kujaku..if it's not, what do you think it is? This is very helpful..always good to do these exercises with less than perfect koi. Really helps you spot the flaws and see what to look for in each variety.

[Super Kindai]

Thanks JR, for your opinion.
Fortunatly, I have many Japanese sensei and you are one of few American sensei for me
I think that Number four has better metallic sheen and pattern is also slightly better than Number two at this size but overall number two ...also, kujyaku spots looks better on number two.

Brutuscz,
#3 looks like a Doitu Goshiki or something...
you see... there is no metallic on the body, head, nose, fins..
this pic is not exactly Doitu kujyaku ( she was a Kin kikokuryu before) but something like that...

[koiczar]

Junichi

Would you classify this as Doitsu Kujaku or Beni Kikokoryu? It is nisai from Aoki and female. This pic is when I got her home in Nov. '05. She is now aka Yonsai. I don't have a current picture at this time, but the reticulation has become very black as well as the face pattern showing more sumi on the forehead and gill plates. Also, there is some greyish sumi on the left lateral area which came up this past winter. What do you think?

Mike

[JasPR]

Brutus, on #3 just look to the pec fins and remember our conversation about luster- " to teri , no kujaku'. The fish must be metallic. If you look to the fins, one of the five points of luster on any Hikari, you see clear fins.

As for the mark on the #2 fish, it might be the picture? But I see a window over the eye that looks an awful lot like a flashing scale or some other healed mechanical injury. The subject of windows in patterns is a whole nother thread but as a closing comment, windows are artistically 'touchy' in that they can work, but only rarely. Otherwise they are judged strictly as a sign of thin pattern, damaged pattern or breaking pattern.

Hope this helps, JR