What You Can Tell From Koi Colors From Photos

If you are interested in buying a koi and plan on buying them from a grower located quite far, you need to see what he has in stock first before making a decision. So the grower sends you pictures of koi. Any breeder would expect any person interested in koi to know how to distinguish them apart from other fishes. If you have to look at the photos, you need to distinguish the type, this is your first stop.

Now for the koi types. There are a wide variety of koi, 15 of which are common. You need to check the characteristics, each variety has its own and if you are skilled enough, you can point and name a koi you come across. The first thing you will see is the color, followed by the pattern, and later the scales. The koi colors are yellow, black, blue, white, red, and green. The only exception to this is the ogon which is of pure color. The rest is a mixture of these colors. The pattern is the next thing you will observe from the photo. Again a koi type has its unique pattern. The next to check is the scale. There are only two types of koi when it comes to the scales. Those that are partially scaled and those that are not. Those without are called doitsu.

Now, how would you know if it is a real koi? Other fishes may share the same trait so a really good inspection is needed to confirm if it is a koi or not. Perhaps one obvious thing to check is the size. Try to make estimates in the photograph. You are lucky if it is a fully grown one since an adult koi would reach up to 3 feet in length. This should make it easier to distinguish from regular fish. Try to also check the colors and pattern that the fish has.

So, if you confirm that the koi in the photo is a koi, you need to know now if it meets the standards to be called a koi. A koi can be bred and be called as such but that does not necessarily mean it is a true koi. The colors have to be deep in hue, a light hue will give it away as a disqualified koi. Check also the definition of the color edges if these are clear. The standard koi would have color markings that are patterned symmetrically.

In relation to the deepness of the color, a light color indicates that the koi is in pure health. The colors will have to be dark especially for dark colors. The last thing to check is the age of the koi. As the fish ages, the patterns begin to fade. A koi that has been properly grown would meet all the standards of a true koi but these standards begin to fade away with age.

So, now that you know the basics, you can try them out. And at least now, you know what information to ask for when buying a koi.