How to identify fry

[Sam Megarry]

I have a 1400 gallon pond with a few mature KOI, 2 comets, 2 shebunkins
and a goldfish. I've now got hundreds of fry, literally!

Some are olive/grey, I assume goldfish, some are like mini KOI, I
assume these are comets.

How can you tell?

How would you know if you had KOI fry?

[[email protected]]

Hi Sam,

Must be the time of year. We've got a load of little ones too. If
anyone can help identify mine I'd be greatful. Ours are about an inch
long and looking black at the moment. The fish we have are all sorts of
colours...



Sam Megarry wrote:
> I have a 1400 gallon pond with a few mature KOI, 2 comets, 2 shebunkins
> and a goldfish. I've now got hundreds of fry, literally!
>
> Some are olive/grey, I assume goldfish, some are like mini KOI, I
> assume these are comets.
>
> How can you tell?
>
> How would you know if you had KOI fry?

[cato42]

Sam Megarry wrote:
> I have a 1400 gallon pond with a few mature KOI, 2 comets, 2 shebunkins
> and a goldfish. I've now got hundreds of fry, literally!
>
> Some are olive/grey, I assume goldfish, some are like mini KOI, I
> assume these are comets.
>
> How can you tell?
>
> How would you know if you had KOI fry?

Well, Sam, you probably wouldn't. Given the mix of fish you've got
there, and knowing that hybridization (esp. between koi and comets) is
common, you may well have a mix of fry. Identifying hybrids as such
may be relatively easy when they're grown (koi-comet hybrids are
reportedly sterile, without barbels, and otherwise shaped/colored like
koi, and can grow quite large), this takes time, and does little to
help when the fish are little gray darts dashing about the pond. This
has been my experience, at least thus far in life, and I've decided to
just kinda go with the flow. I've got about 17-18 fish in our backyard
pond at the moment, and am only sure of the type/species for about
half. The others are either hybrids (I think) or in the
Lord-only-knows category at the moment.

At any rate, best wishes.

Lucas Cato