Q&A – How Can We Identify a Male Koi and a Female Koi?
This is a question received from Dallas Clark:
How do you know which is male and female? and How can you know which females have given birth?
There are little differences between the male and the female koi fish. The male koi fish is usually slim and has the shape of a torpedo. Female koi have a fatter abdomen which turns them into a wider and rounder fishes than the males.
When breeding time arrives the differences between the male and female koi become more evident. While the female will be laying eggs, the male will chase her and bump her on the end or on the side. This is a natural courting process that will end with the male fertilizing the eggs.
Melisa, Thank you for responding to my question. The information is very helpful to a novice in
the Koi kingdom. Love to spend time with my Koi garden and indeed the Koi have become like
pets and friends. I have a very small pond some 2200 gallons and a tank 700 gallons constructed for any fry that crops up and for isolation of new fish and plants. I have learned much
from the fine folks on line and I am pleased to accept your help. Thank you,
Dallas Clark, C.H.A. ( only to show what the cha is on my e-mail address)