Apparently my fish have been active at a couple of different points this season. I have two young fish, one about three inches long, the other much smaller. The size differential suggests that they are from different batches. I suppose the grownups took care of their siblings at some point. The three inch juvenile/toddler fish looks like an orfe but with a slightly longer, shubunkin, butterfly, or comet-type tail. (I have all of the above in my pond.)
I didn't think orfe interbred, and I also thought that they weren't much of breeders, period. But it sure looks like a mini-orfe to me. (The smaller one is only rarely and fleetingly glimpsed and is so small that I have no clue as to its provenance.) Is it possible that I have an orfe blend on my hands? It would be pretty cool if so; those are fun fish, and having a little shubunkin, comet, or butterfly koi mixed in would be even cooler. Or is it probably something else that hasn't finished doing that fry-into-fish transformation thing yet? I can try to get a picture tomorrow if that would help, but I can't promise that I'll get a shot, as it's still a little shy and elusive. And small.
I didn't think orfe interbred, and I also thought that they weren't much of breeders, period. But it sure looks like a mini-orfe to me. (The smaller one is only rarely and fleetingly glimpsed and is so small that I have no clue as to its provenance.) Is it possible that I have an orfe blend on my hands? It would be pretty cool if so; those are fun fish, and having a little shubunkin, comet, or butterfly koi mixed in would be even cooler. Or is it probably something else that hasn't finished doing that fry-into-fish transformation thing yet? I can try to get a picture tomorrow if that would help, but I can't promise that I'll get a shot, as it's still a little shy and elusive. And small.