Yujin Freshwater Fishes (Mostly second releases)--walkarounds

Excellent topic and a very tempting one, even for a guy who doesn't really collect freshwater fishes!

Thanks for more these presentations. Do barramundi juveniles have the same shape as adultes? I have no idea so I am asking.

Roger wrote:

Thanks for more these presentations. Do barramundi juveniles have the same shape as adultes? I have no idea so I am asking.

I took a quick look around--it appears that the head should be a little more pointed, but overall they are similar.

Really, though, the sculpt should look different!

Oh maybe i mis-understood that then about the carp-thing.
Yes, those carps were all imported here in Europe from Asia, who were the first i don't know.
I don't even know if there were already koi-variations in the Roman time.
What is now called the Eurasian carp is actually the brood of what was imported in the old days.

WILLYBACOMAN wrote:

Oh maybe i mis-understood that then about the carp-thing.
Yes, those carps were all imported here in Europe from Asia, who were the first i don't know.
I don't even know if there were already koi-variations in the Roman time.
What is now called the Eurasian carp is actually the brood of what was imported in the old days.

I would guess that the Romans' version of 'varieties' was nothing like what exists now, or possibly ever existed in East Asia. It's too bad that they didn't promote their regional fish more!

sbell wrote:

Roger wrote:

Thanks for more these presentations. Do barramundi juveniles have the same shape as adultes? I have no idea so I am asking.

I took a quick look around--it appears that the head should be a little more pointed, but overall they are similar.

Really, though, the sculpt should look different!

Thanks for checking Sean, that is always interesting to know!

I am finally getting to put this last ‘second release’ figure up—I kind of forgot!

This figure is the special version of the Carassius langsdorfii (or Carassius aurauts langsdorfii). Unlike the ‘regular’ figure, this one is the domestic version, in a bright orange, as would be expected in a fish tank.

It is otherwise the same model as the brown version. It has a brighter, golden eye, and the fin is more transparent.

Walkaround Pictures:
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And to compare with the ‘wild’ paint job. It is clearly very different, with brown & grey compared to orange!

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Until the next one (I have some release 1 & 2 comparisons all set to go, I will do those shortly). Or until I get some of the really expensive rare ones!

This is a photo set to compare the figures from the First & Second release of the Series II Northern Snakehead Channa argus, number 24 in the series.

As will be seen in any of these 1 & 2 comparisons, the Release 1 figures tend to have a simpler paint job, with far less nuance to them. In many instances the patterns and details are simplified, in particular markings and the face region. The fins are also often left with less colour or pattern.

In the Northern Snakehead, the overall pattern difference is striking. The R1 figure is more yellow, with less shading and bands of black; the R2 has marking of brown only, with a fine shading from dark to very light brown. The heads are especially different, with fewer, thicker black stripes on the R1 compared to the more detailed brown marking on the R2.

Comparisons (R2 on the left, R1 on the right):
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And because Kevin hasn’t been out for a swim for a while.

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This is a photo set to compare the figures from the First & Second release of the Series II Japanese Spined Loach Cobitis biwae, number 22 in the series.

As will be seen in any of these 1 & 2 comparisons, the Release 1 figures tend to have a simpler paint job, with far less nuance to them. In many instances the patterns and details are simplified, in particular markings and the face region. The fins are also often left with less colour or pattern.

In the Spined Loach, the most obvious difference is the fewer number of dark blotches on the Release 1—to the point where there are none along the dorsum of the figure at all, while the R2 has a row of distinct brown patches along the back. The face of the R1 figure also has simpler markings, mainly simple brown dots, whereas the R2 has a variety of squiggles and dots.  And the R1 ventral fins are all marked, while the R2 fins are left unmarked. Finally, the R1 has a more distinctly defined dill by the operculum.

Comparisons (R2 on the left, R1 on the right):
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And because Kevin hasn’t been out for a swim for a while.

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This is a photo set to compare the figures from the First & Second release of the Series II Roughskin Sculpin Trachidermus fasciatus, number 27 in the series.

As will be seen in any of these 1 & 2 comparisons, the Release 1 figures tend to have a simpler paint job, with far less nuance to them. In many instances the patterns and details are simplified, in particular markings and the face region. The fins are also often left with less colour or pattern.

In the Roughskin Sculpin, both have appropriately complex patterns. The most obvious difference is the great amount of white on the head of Release 1, which becomes more brown and black in Release 2, and the greater amount of markings and counter shading in Release 2.

Comparisons (R2 on the left, R1 on the right):
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And because Kevin hasn’t been out for a swim for a while.

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This is a photo set to compare the figures from the First & Second release of the Series II Grass Puffer Takifugu niphobles, number 30 in the series.

As will be seen in any of these 1 & 2 comparisons, the Release 1 figures tend to have a simpler paint job, with far less nuance to them. In many instances the patterns and details are simplified, in particular markings and the face region. The fins are also often left with less colour or pattern.

In the Grass Puffer, the most obvious difference is the distinct white spots in the Release 1, which become subtler dark brown spots in Release 2, and the mouth area is painted more distinctly.

Comparisons (R2 on the left, R1 on the right):
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And because Kevin hasn’t been out for a swim for a while.

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This is a photo set to compare the figures from the First & Second release of the Series II Starry Flounder Platichthys stellatus, number 31 in the series.

As will be seen in any of these 1 & 2 comparisons, the Release 1 figures tend to have a simpler paint job, with far less nuance to them. In many instances the patterns and details are simplified, in particular markings and the face region. The fins are also often left with less colour or pattern.

In the Starry Flounder, they are almost painted like different species (or, given some flounders’ ability to alter their colours to suit a substrate, they are from different surfaces). The R1 has an even mix of dark brown with cream-colored margins and blotches with a smattering of small white dots. The R2, on the other hand, is more subtly colored with a range of browns and olive, and finer, smaller white markings throughout, along with a lot of black dots. This same patterning difference carries into the face. Even the dorsal and anal fins are very different. And on the ‘bottom’ of the fish (originally the ‘right hand side’) the paint is different.

Comparisons (R2 on the left, R1 on the right):
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And because Kevin hasn’t been out for a swim for a while.

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This is a photo set to compare some distinct variants of the Second release of the Series I Cherry Salmon Onchorhynchus masou masou, number 03 in the series.

Unlike the other comparisons of Yujin fish models that I’ve done, this one does not show a Release 1 and Release 2. Instead, they are very distinct variants of the same figures from the same Release (I know they are both Release 2 because they both came sealed with their papers).

At first I thought the newer, brighter one may have been a chase variant—a figure of the Amago, a distinctly Japanese freshwater subspecies O. masou ishikawae or O. masou macrostomus. This does exist as a figure, although not necessarily as expensive as some of the chase variants can be. However, my newer one, like my original, has no small red spots alongside the scattered dark spots (which is characteristic of Amago). But it does have several distinctly different features. The most noticeable difference is the very deep, bright pink longitudinal band along the lateral line—it is far brighter and wider than my original, where it is very subtle. There is also some difference in the fins, with the newer figure having darker yellow fins than the original. The body is also shaped somewhat differently.

It’s hard to say if these variations were intentional, or meaningful, of if it is just a quirk of the production and painting.

Comparisons (Original on the left, Newer on the right):
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And because Kevin hasn’t been out for a swim for a while.

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They are wonderful models, and we are lucky to have you here to show us this rare collection, in these beautyful pictures

I am so totally in love with the latest flounder...well, it is the only one of these fishes that I know

Beautiful fish, that we not see every day in model form.
I am really surprised by the details of the fish! Thank you for showing these

"And because Kevin hasn’t been out for a swim for a while."

So beautieful fishes !!!

widukind wrote:

So beautieful fishes !!!

Collecting fish is a hobby much more interesting that I could ever expect. You're showing us that there are lots of different species replicated and many of them with high quality. With all these variants that you kindly show to us, it turns even more interesting. Wonderful collection Sean!

Roger wrote:

Collecting fish is a hobby much more interesting that I could ever expect. You're showing us that there are lots of different species replicated and many of them with high quality. With all these variants that you kindly show to us, it turns even more interesting. Wonderful collection Sean!

I'm pretty pleased with them overall--but I don't think I will be chasing down some of the more-rare variants; at close to 10000Yen each, it's jus too mcuh for a small rubber fish (and they don't even change the sculpt!).

This figure is the Japanese Dolly Varden (also known as Miyabeiwana in Japan), Salvelinus malma miyabei, a Secret Figure from the first series. This particular subspecies is a char found in Japan, although Dolly Varden as a species is found in Arctic and Pacific drainages in Russia and North America (there is even a relict population in my home province!) As with many Japanese fish models (though not all) it is widely fished for. Maximum TL of the Dolly Varden is 120cm according to Fishbase, but most references say 60cm or smaller. The figure, like the Char, is about 1:10 scale.

Being a repainted figure, I don’t need to go into much detail on the model itself—it is a remade White-spotted Char, although there are some differences in the bend of the figure. This is most likely a manufacturing issue, although it may also have been a purposeful difference created to differentiate the fish. Of course, the paint job is what really distinguishes the two models. In short, the Dolly Varden is an overall green, with light vermiculations on the dorsal surface, a scattering of red and gold spots along the sides, and a bright orange belly (the char is mostly brown, darker on the dorsal and fading to cream on the belly). The Dolly Varden fins are also lighter, with only subtle orange (compared to the dark orange tail of the Char).
But pictures speak louder than words, so:

Pictures:
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And the bottom, where it's easy to see the detail that Yujin puts into every side of the models (and can often see the numbers in the photos—that’s how we know the Dolly Varden is based on the Char—same number). It’s also easy to see how bright red the belly is!
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And then some comparisons. Again, while the Dolly Varden was a Secret Special figure, it was not listed or available like some of the others (like the variants of the Arowana or koi, or the albino char or eel that were with the box set). Perhaps it was a special mail-out like the Masou x Char, but not as fancy—and definitely not as expensive (as any of the other specials, honestly)! And the paper didn’t help—it was part of the Series I revised, but didn’t offer any clues about why the Secret figure existed.

(Dolly Varden on the left, White-spotted Char on the right)
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Same models but they look so different with their basis and paintings. I'm always very impressed by the Yujin quality level.

Great pictures again

I wonder why the poor, beautyful fish got that funny name : Dolly Varden
Makes me think of Dolly Parton

Kikimalou wrote:

Same models but they look so different with their basis and paintings. I'm always very impressed by the Yujin quality level.

Exactly !!! So different

Phantastic :)

SUSANNE wrote:

Great pictures again

I wonder why the poor, beautyful fish got that funny name : Dolly Varden
Makes me think of Dolly Parton

Kikimalou wrote:

Same models but they look so different with their basis and paintings. I'm always very impressed by the Yujin quality level.

Exactly !!! So different

Apparently, it is a name from a Dickens story (Barnaby Rudge) as well as the name for a style of fashion (sheer dress over brightly colored petticoat). Not sure how the Dickens character fits, but apparently the brightly colored clothing makes sense.

Up to that point in the 1870s, they were apparently also called calico trout. Which sounds less odd to our ears now!

So here's something neat--a way to know exactly what is in the Yujin Freshwater Fish series!

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This is apparently the full line--every release, every secret and special! And the price isn't totally unreasonable, considering that it is a complete collection all in one go. And everything still in original package, apparently.

I especially appreciate the list of models--lets us know what came with what set. It would have been nice of there were images of everything, since it can be more difficult to guess what paint scheme is from a first release, second release or box set (some, like the Arowanas, are especially difficult to tell).

And if someone does get it...they should create the complete catalogue! Then we'll have a complete reference!