The jury is out when it comes to the butterfly koi. A lot of people find their long fins attractive and their elusiveness makes them even more interesting.
Others see them as inhumanely bred and many enthusiasts absolutely refuse to keep or trade them. In Germany their breeding is not officially classified as cruel and they are traded in quite high quantities there. But they are still less common than the short finned koi.
In Japan I often noticed that those breeders who owned butterfly koi quickly were sold out. To me this is evidence of the high interest these animals hold. However the Japanese breed relatively few of this variety since they are viewed with disfavour in their country. Although the breeders could make a lot of money with them, they mainly breed the “classics” such as Showa, Kohaku and Sanke.
What’s your opinion here?
With kind regards, Ronny Thorhauer
