Sanke
Sanke
Thank you all for your insights and comments.
I am owner #3 of this koi, which has been passed around. Owner #2 and owner #1 each say it came from Kleinholz Koi Farm in Oklahoma. For what it's worth, I asked owner #1, who bought it directly from the farm, "Did it come from a Sanke or Showa spawn?" He said "Sanke". That said, I don't know if a koi necessarily has to be what it came from. It may be more, "It is what it is."
American tri color. LOL.
To me some of its sumi is below the lateral line. It also has a dot of black on its head. Any black on the head is supposed to be showa..
Sanke. The sumi is poor quality Sanke sumi. Tejima, sumi on the head and the color inside the mouth have nothing to do with it. I wish these so called criteria would go away, as they confuse more than help. Sanke sumi looks like little chips of confetti put together. Showa sumi appears continuous, like a sheet.
Tim can always be reached at 850-380-7824 or timnye850@gmail.com
I changed my mind after going back and looking at all the pictures, sanke.
Last edited by Gene; 08-16-2018 at 11:57 AM.
Gene
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http://www.koiclay.com
The only failures are those that stop trying! There is a very thin line between procrastination and delayed gratification. You won't be happy with what you want, if you aren't happy with what you have. It's not what you are looking at, but where you are looking from.
I thought this one was very confusing so I sent the pictures to two very prominent breeders in Japan. They both were 100% on the Sumi being Showa Sumi, which is what I was thinking, but the body is confusing. One of the breeders said it was, hands down, a Showa because of the Sumi. The other one said that even though it has Showa Sumi it has the body of a Sanke but still called it a Showa.
With my pond being 20 feet wide, it is nearly impossible to net a koi in daylight when the lighting is good for photos. So I tried using zoom to get photos during feeding, which is not easy on a moving target. So it is a little hard to tell from these shots, but if there is black in the mouth, I am not seeing it.
I appreciate all of the interesting discussion and varying opinions. In my unorthodox opinion, it would seem that the trait that presents that largest visual impact should be the primary indicator of variety. In this case, the shape and location of the sumi, long bands stretching rather low on the body rather than spots mainly on top give this koi more of a showa appearance from the first glance. The amount of black on the head or in the mouth are indicators, but minor in light of the body sumi which is less subtle.
Were it not for the information in my earlier comment, copied below, I don't know that I would have ever thought of this koi as perhaps not being a showa:
"I am owner #3 of this koi, which has been passed around. Owner #2 and owner #1 each say it came from Kleinholz Koi Farm in Oklahoma. For what it's worth, I asked owner #1, who bought it directly from the farm, "Did it come from a Sanke or Showa spawn?" He said "Sanke"."
Thanks again for the feedback.
I was thinking sanke at first, but I'm thinking showa. No sumi in the mouth+pattern+sumi on the head vs tejima. One big flaw is more plausible than three medium ones.