What is the difference between Sanke and Showa really ?

The difference between the Sanke and the Showa is that the Sanke has a white base with red and black markings while the showa has a black base with red and white markings.

The Sanke has predominately white fins where the Showa will have black in the fins. The Showa will have black on the head.

It is often difficult to see the difference between Kindai Showa(Modern Showa) which have much more white, and looks almost like a Sanke.

Thanks Paul ... I can see that it is possible for me to be not voted "Idiot of the Ponds" ... if I say they look damn close to the same thing to my untrained eye.

Pieter J de Villiers wrote:

Ok. This is to confuse everyone!

Taking in account what Paul said, what is this and why?

Jaco & Albie, not allowed to answer!

I will say she/he has more Sanke genetic, firstly no sumi on the head. And from lookin at the right pectoral fin, the sumi is in a line shape rather than in a "round" shape. Also, from the photo i guess most of the sumi didn't extend to the stomach.

Pieter J de Villiers wrote:

Ok. This is to confuse everyone!

Taking in account what Paul said, what is this and why?

Jaco & Albie, not allowed to answer!

By the way, i think this koi is a very good breeding fish.

Is this koi a male or female? And how big is he/she now?

And did you feed any colour enhance? I notice the white ground on the head is a bit yellow in colour.

I agree with Sass. It looks like a Sanke for the reasons mentioned.

However, I will put my money on Showa, because it is probaly a catch, the Sumi on the head can still come out (it looks like underlying sumi above the left eye) and there appears to be Sumi in the tail.

If it is a Showa, there must be a lot of Sanke blood in it.

Admin wrote:

I agree with Sass. It looks like a Sanke for the reasons mentioned.

However, I will put my money on Showa, because it is probaly a catch, the Sumi on the head can still come out and there appears to be Sumi in the tail.

If it is a Showa, there must be a lot of Sanke blood in it.

I think the best way to make sure is this a Sanke or a Showa, is to look inside the mouth of this koi. If there are sumi in the mouth than is a showa, if no sumi in mouth than a Sanke.

This fish was imported by Jaco Vorster of Jakoi in Odendalsrus.
I bought the fish (Male: 45 cm) from him in 2004.

Unfortunately the fish died in 2007 (70cm) during a thunderstorm, by killing himself swimming into the sidewall of the pond.

Jaco promise to post and tell us more about the fish.

Hi All

This is a Sanke coming from a spawning between a Showa Female and a Sanke Male and thus called a Showa Sanke. The breeders in Japan are trying to develop the Sumi of Sanke more so they use Showa to do it. The Sumi in the pec's is tejime and not motoguro as in showa. The head is a bit yellow due to the fact that it just come from a mud pond and would normally clear up fast.

It's a Sanke from the Torazo bloodline.
The head looks yellow because it is male.
Picture taken the day I got him + - 30cm
What is interesting is to see how the Sumi changed.

Hi,

Looking at the two photos of this Koi, there is something interesting.

On Showa the motoguro ( black on the pectoral fins) is normally “big” when the fish is young, and it shrinks toward the fin joint as it gets bigger and older.

But in this case, the sumi on the pec-fins, although a Sanke, becomes bigger!