A Kohaku is a variety of white skinned Koi with bright red markings over their body. Most people who started the Koi hobby will have the most number of this Koi variety in their collection.
A Koi with a completely white body and only a red patch on its head is a Tancho Kohaku or Tancho for short. If the patch is round in shape, it is especially prized by the Japanese and collectors since such patterns are rare and it also resemble the Japanese national flag.
This is one of my favourite Koi in my pond. This fish have a nice circular red patch on its head. I bought this Koi, when it was about 20 cm long, from Nippon Koi Farm which imports Koi bred in Japan. They also breed some locally. That was in Jan 2008 when I first moved into my current house and was stocking up my new pond. This was one of the 2 Kohaku I bought that day, along with some varieties of Koi. This “Tancho” Kohaku is a female and has a nice bulky body shape. It is now about 50 cm long.
The photo below shows the other kohaku that I bought that day. Bought it for its colour and nice 2-step pattern. It is also about 50 cm now but, to my disappointment, its body shape is too slim. Probably a male.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI would like to know how to choose a good koi? Most hobbyist would choose a good pattern but an expert would check its head, body, etc aside from its good pattern.
TIA
Square
For me, body shape is important. Bulky, thick roundish body shape is preferred over long and slender. See photos of the Kohakus in my post above.
ReplyDeleteNext comes colour. Colour should be saturated. White should be white, not yellowish or greyish. Boundaries between colours must be sharp, not blur.
Pattern should be nice and pleasing to the eye, but is not the main criteria. However, there should not be "faults" in the pattern. And this would depends on Koi variety. For instance, for Kohakus, there must be not be red colours in fins, tail and lower half of body.