Asagi Tosai Evaluation

[MikeM]

This is a 12" tosai Asagi, sex undetermined. Thoughts and comments will be appreciated.

[Russell Peters]

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeM This is a 12" tosai Asagi, sex undetermined. Thoughts and comments will be appreciated.

It looks very nice. Female I think?

[dick benbow]

Interesting body shape. Usually both males and females at this stage tend to be long and slender without the exaggerated hump. Red is about the right stage of development on the pecs, head and stomach. At this age no red on the dorsal is correct with expectation to develop next year, but would like to see some showing on the tail. No concern on the face and forhead as coloration is normal for a one year old.

would be intrested to know who bred it and if your seriously considering the koi or if it was posted just for comment.

[MikeM]

Dick: For $35 I could not pass it up. The breeder is Dan Daniels, who many may know as SunDan on some of the koi boards. Dan moved to Lake Wales, Florida a few years ago to get a bit of acreage, dug some mud ponds, set up aboveground tanks (like Kodama in Hawaii) with continuous fresh water flowing in and finally started breeding last year. He has Hosakai oyagoi. Out of a spawn of thousands, he has selected down to less than 200 Asagi. He brought a dozen or so to a club meeting yesterday and offered them at a special price. I went with no intention of acquiring anything. I've seen enough splotchy, ugly home-bred Asagi to last me forever. But when I saw what Dan was producing, I was impressed. He won't be threatening Hosakai's exports, but he has done quite well. There was a wide range among the ones he brought. This one stood out to my eye as having 'controlled' Beni, a better skin than some and a nice blue. Once I convinced myself it was more likely female than male, I decided I could make room for my first Asagi. Yep, Dick, 'she' is the first Asagi for me.

... The hump is not very noticeable when water covers it. I think it is exaggerated in the photos due to so much of the body being out of the water. (I wanted to get a good shot of the glistening white on the flank, but it really does not show well in the photo... almost like specks of Matsunosuke gin.) However, she was one of the smaller ones available. Dan had a couple of tosai I'd put at 15"-16" (these were darker and seemed definite males) with most in the 13"-14" range. ... The hump may be an early indicator of a stubby body. It's something to watch for.

I think Dan is doing well in his breeding adventure. But he is never going to make it by pricing below cost.

[dick benbow]

You certainly answered all my questions in depth and I'm glad to see you have an asagi finally and a nice one at that!

[MikeM]

Dick, I think folks are a bit afraid of Asagi. As of this post, there have been 148 views, but only you and Russell have commented. A Kohaku or Showa would have produced a couple of pages by now.

... I don't think many would have guessed the Asagi was a domestic.

[dinh]

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeM . Yep, Dick, 'she' is the first Asagi for me. .

sound very familiar..... I enjoy my first Asagi and the only one I have since got into this hobby.... I am sure you will do too.....

Your asagi has light blue, it will be good later..... Mine is liilte dark when I got it....

--Dinh

[kntry]

Ok, I'll comment even though I don't know much about them.

She looks like she has a great body, especially for her age. The color looks soft.

I've never seen one with the "pineconing" just starting so is this normal for her age?

My avatar is staying at Quality for another season and will probably come home next January. I can't wait to see her.

[jomoma]

To me the asagi looks a little white. I would like to see more blue and I don't like the head.
You dudes have the expeirence to know a good koi and how it will grow out but to me 35.00 is a good price but no steal.

regards form a novice busybody

[dick benbow]

Mike, your right....but I've always loved asagi's and always will so it doesn't surprise me there are not a lot of other asagi nuts out there. The beauty of your koi will be it's not going into a pond where color food is fed. Not a good idea on developing asagi to encourage the red. better to let olde Ma nature have her way!

Dinh, I have a picture of your asagi in your pond when you were settling my aka bekko. It has very nice Fukerin!

Kntry. The asagi-han ( blue matsuba pattern) usually appears on a better asagi it's third year. That's why finding a good completed one is so expensive because you have to hang on to it so long to make sure of what you got.
Your bloodline is different from Mike's. Have you ever seen the mother to your baby? or the dad? You'd be surprised if you haven't. Many japanese hobbyists to get around the cost of a good three year old will buy 6 tosai from a breeder all with different amounts of red and finishing to learn and get the one they want to keep.