SHOWA

A Victim of Identity Theft?

steve hopkins

When young koi fry first start to develop pigment, they are either black or a yellowish white. Traditionally Showa were selected from koi which began life as black fry. Utsuri are also selected from black fry, but Kohaku and Sanke are always selected from white fry. When we purchase a Showa, tosai size or older, its color as a fry is of little consideration. However, for the breeder it is a significant factor. Selecting and raising the black fry from a spawn, while discarding the white ones, is a demanding approach. Black fry do not develop their patterns nearly as early as white fry do. When the patterns finally do develop, the number deserving to be kept is extremely small. Thus, the breeder must invest more time and space to raising black-based koi, while the return (in number of acceptable koi) is generally much less. For this reason, Showa used to be considered the most difficult koi variety to breed.

This is no longer the case. Most modern Showa are selected from white fry. With any luck, there will also be Kohaku and Sanke found mixed in with the young white-based Showa. These modern Showa are called Kindai Showa. The shiro is much more white and the beni is a much deeper and intense red in the Kindai Showa. Kindai Showa can have the lacquer black sumi which is much more intense than the dull greyish sumi of traditional Showa. However, with the development of these “improved” Showa, the distinction between Showa and Sanke has become blurred. While a Showa will ideally have sumi at the base of the pectoral fins and sumi on the head in front of the eyes, an exceptional Showa which lacks one of these characteristics is still an exceptional Showa. The amount of shiro is generally greater on a Kindai Showa and there is less sumi wrapping below the lateral line than in a traditional Showa. A tell-tale sign that a Showa was selected from black fry is that the inside of the mouth will remain black into adulthood.

So, while today’s Showa is a much more striking and attractive koi, the original distinction of being a black-based fish is being lost. Perhaps more importantly, the techniques and art of raising and selecting showa from black fry is being lost. This has led at least one person to claim that Showa are a victim of identity theft.
Will there be a renaissance in the art of raising traditional Showa from black fry which produces a Showa with color quality rivaling Kindai Showa? Or, will the distinction between Kindai Showa and Sanke become so blurred that the difference becomes irrelevant? Only time will tell.