Body Versus Pattern, Which Comes First?

When I first got into the Koi hobby some years ago, I read that in selecting koi, body comes first, then pattern, for the simple reason that you are unlikely to get jumbo kois with good patterns as they are hidden away by japanese breeders for auction sales at much higher prices.

In short, buy a big pattern fish with good body if you want to get a female jumbo, as fish with better patterns are likely to be males of smaller sizes when mature. By the time they hit jumbo, their imposing presence will more than make up for a less attractive pattern.

This is pretty much my modus operandi in koi selection, although falling for kois with fantastic patterns is quite a natural tendency to me, I must admit.

I had the opportunity to try out my selection skills on two (2) batches of Maruyama kohaku tosais of the same year last year (spawned May/June 2006), and after some months of rapid growth, here are the results:













These 2 kois were chosen for pattern, and turn out to be males :(













This fantastic Kohaku, now 53cm, was chosen for its sharp kiwa, white shiroji and interesting, and looks female :)













This 48cm Kohaku was chosen for her body and pattern, and looks female:)













This 55cm sandan kohaku, was chosen for her size and body, as she had a large window on her shoulder when I picked her. I was surprised the window has closed up, and she is now confirmed a female. A stint in the mudpond will no doubt set her well on the way to jumbo.













Both these females measure 57cm in length were chosen for their body as their pattern were large and thankfully acceptably interesting. They grew the fastest, and the humps and growth rates seem to suggest that they will hit jumbo :)

Well, time will tell and so far, my little experiment seem to match up with what was advised to me when I first started i.e Body comes first, then pattern.