Predicting Future Conformation

[MikeM]

And, her picture as used in NI/Infiltration web banner ads a few years ago (before her pigment fell apart).

[MikeM]

Goodness, I still cannot get folks to stick their necks out. Guess this thread is at an end.

[PapaBear]

It isn't that I don't want to stick my neck out.
I've just been having a hard time figuring out where to stick it...(boy did that come out wrong)

I've never had one that displayed the growth traits we're looking at so any prognostication on my part would have been pure guess work. The first side shot was the only thing that gave me pause early on, and that was mainly because of the uncertainty of how the head would/could catch up. the head appears wide enough, but the hump is so strong at this stage it is hard to know if the head can keep up down the road. Such a tremendous growth in length and overall bulk at the shoulder at the same time would seem to tip the scale toward the kind of issues Dick has alluded to.

[koiczar]

Hi Mike

I too hesitated to chime in here. I have had fish do the same thing as yours is doing. The high shoulder-breast shape. I really think it may have something to do with growing on in a concrete pond vs mud pond. There is something to be said for ratio of length/width/DEPTH that concerns me in my endeavors. If you know how the Chinese built ponds to develop the round lobed bodies on some goldfish varieties you'd see what I mean. I read 40 years ago that they would grow these fish out in ponds that were circular in size, approx. 10' in diameter and 6+' in depth. This forced the fish to grow vertically rather than horizontally. It could be that something like that occurs when we try to grow fish in our "restricted" home ponds. Doesn't seem to happen much with fish grown out in the mud ponds. They seem to come out firmer and more muscular. Something I have never been able to do at home. I think your showa would look quite differently if she was mud pond grown. As you mentioned, it could have the genetics lineage of European food carp that rears it's ugly head occasionally. I would still keep trying with this fish however.

Question for you - do you think that adding some stronger currents for X hours a day would improve the belly line as she would be forced to exercise more, therefore creating a larger virtual swimming area in relation to the depth of the pond?

Mike

[MikeM]

Hey, Mike. Good thoughts, but I don't think it fits. The pond turns over every 45 minutes. She is a strong swimmer and moves about a good deal. This one is not overweight. No bulges from eggs or fat. She can look thin in the pond when next to my Yamabuki. I think it is just pure genetics. But I'll not be moving her on. As long as the Beni holds up, I'll enjoy her. I think she will end up with a nice pattern, the motoguro may become fairly impressive and there is a nice lustre... especially the shiroji. If she keeps growing like she has been, maybe in a couple of years I'll take her to a show to get a 'friendship award'. I'll not be surprised if she was approaching 28" by next April, and over 30" in a year. I think a lot of folks would like to see such a koi at 32", even if she does not match up with the ideals our judges should be focused on. There's a lot to enjoy in koi.