The Beauty of the New Era is Oogoke.

“Aragoke Koi” play with scales  (Part 2)

In part one, we introduced the efforts of Ikarashi Koi Farm, a pioneer in Aragokegoi breeding from Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.

In part two, we interviewed Motoyoshi Aoki from AO Aokiya Co., Ltd. in Ojiya City, who gained recognition for producing Kouryu, which won the 53rd All Japan Combined Nishikigoi Show. We discussed the process of breeding Kouryu with him. Moreover, we spoke with Naoto Kobayashi from Marusen Kobayashi Farm in Uonuma City, who focuses on breeding Aragokegoi of Kogane Ochiba lineage following the bloodline of Ikarashi Koi Farm. Aragokegoi considered the third Nishikigoi alongside koi with scales and Doitsugoi, has its unique charm. How about having them in your pond?

Interview with Motoyoshi Aoki from AO Aokiya

The Birth of the Yellow Dragon” King Ghidorah”.

— At the 53rd All Japan Combined Nishikigoi Show held in January this year, Kouryu garnered attention. It was featured in the April issue of this magazine. Please explain again how this particular koi was bred and what led to its creation.

Aoki: Initially, I’ve been breeding Hariwake, aiming for a deeper yellow colour. During the process, we produced koi with aragoke, I also found this type interesting. Then, I tried to breed a bit of aragoke. 

— When did you start making it in earnest?

Aoki: I’d say it’s been for two years. I had tried a bit before then, but it wasn’t until around that time that I could create a good Aragokegoi.

Generally, aragoke is dismissed as unwanted. However, when you try to produce it, covering the entire body is challenging. Moreover, even if you call it just aragoke, the size of scales and how they develop varies, making it quite rare to get a perfect appearance. I wish I could produce plenty of koi like the ones that participated in that competition, but honestly, there are only a few.

The Kouryu bred by AO Aokiya Co., Ltd. (nicknamed “King Ghidorah.”)

— What kind of koi are you using as parents?

Aoki: I am using a female koi (Photo 1) for breeding. So far, I’ve been using the female to produce regular HariwakeOgon. If you take a look, you’ll notice that she hardly has any scales. However, some offspring are born with a little bit of aragoke. The female’s grandparents didn’t have such traits. But an aragoke male (Photo 3) was born from her. 

I crossed this male, resulting in the creation of the current Kouryu.

— Is it better to bring in males with such traits when aiming to produce aragoke?

Aoki: I have customers who like Aragokegoi, as well as those who prefer the traditional type with fewer scales. That’s why I breed two types. I separate them based on the type of male fish, as it determines whether I produce aragoke or not.  

— You can achieve two different expressions by using different males, don’t you? 

Aoki: When crossing with orthodox males, if the females have aragoke traits, it may affect the orthodox type. Therefore, as a basic rule, I tend to use females that are not of the aragoke type as parents. I also breed females with aragoke males, ensuring that orthodox males can produce both types. Besides, if I were to produce too many Aragokegoi and they didn’t sell well later, it would be a problem.

— In general, if you breed Doitsugoi, aragoke will naturally appear. However, is the crossbreeding process crucial when aiming to develop aragoke well?

Aoki: That’s correct. Whether it’s beautiful or not, crossing a koi with scales with Doitsugoi will result in a considerable appearance of aragoke.

For example, when creating DoitsuGoshiki, I start by crossing DoitsuKohaku with Goshiki. However, when crossing with koi with scales, scales tend to appear up to the lateral line, so the next step becomes eliminating such unnecessary scales. After numerous improvements and generations, the unnecessary scales gradually disappear, and finally, it is suitable for use as a parent. However, if it becomes inbreeding during the improvement process, we may need to cross it with a koi with scales again to dilute the bloodline. It may not be achievable in just one generation. Therefore, it requires trying different processes, possibly two or three times, to succeed.

— Creating a new breed indeed requires such efforts and patience.

Aoki: It is unclear at which stage I crossed it with a koi with scales, but I went through several processes to create Kouryu.

— Koryu originates from HariwakeOgon; how about the pattern formation?

Aoki: The Kouryu (Photo 4), at the Niigata auction this spring, is of the orthodox type. As you can see, the pattern is well-defined, and particularly, this koi has a deep, intense yellow, creating a clear and striking contrast with the white.

When it turns into a pale yellow, even with the pattern, it’s difficult to define clear boundaries with the white ground, resulting in a blurred appearance. So, I am working on improvement to achieve a deep yellow.

— I’ve heard that yellow colour, in particular, is unstable.

Aoki: Yes, it’s quite challenging. It can turn orangish or even fade out.

The female I’m currently using (Photo 1) has a light yellow colour, so to compensate for that, I’m using a male with an orange-ish colour (Photo 3). When the offspring has a dark colour, I keep and cross them again, gradually intensifying the colour.

Alternatively, I also introduce bloodlines from Kikusui, which are closer to red, so by repeating the cross-process, I gradually transition from orange to yellow. Similar as with aragoke, I’ve been creating it step by step.

— How many female koi are being used for breeding Kouryu?

Aoki: There is one of aragoke type and one of the orthodox Hariwake type. The ideal ratio would be that over half are orthodox, and the remaining are unique variations like aragoke. 

— Is the crossing done one-to-one, with one male and one female?

Aoki: I practice natural spawning, so I use two types of males for each female: one with aragoke traits and the other without. I sometimes use three males, two orthodox and one aragoke, as a backup. I also have females of the aragoke type (Photo 2), and I can create four combinations.

— Are there any differences in the selection process for Aragokegoi compared to other koi?

Aoki: Since the scales tend to remain relatively intact, I find the selection process easier. However, whether aragoke will develop a dark colour or not, I have to wait a few years.