Go Jump in a Lake! Freshwater Fish!

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Rainbow Trout, probably one of the most familiar North American game fish, Oncorhynchus mykiss, number 04 from the first series. This trout is widespread throughout North America, and parts of the Kamchatka peninsula; they are also introduced into many other places including, of course, Japan. Their sizing is quite variable depending on location, subspecies and whether it is a landlocked or sea-going form; the TL given by Yujin is 80cm.

This model is about 6 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:13. The pose is pretty much similar to the trout and salmon models so far (they can only get so variable). The colouring is of course detailed, showing the dark back and pink sides of a mature freshwater male. This one is on the grey outcrop rock base. Like the other trout models, this one has the calm demeanor compared to some of the Yujin fish. As will be a running theme with many of the Japanese fish in the Yujin series, this species has shown up in other Japanese lines, but the wide range of the species means that it has also shown up from other makers, most notably Replica Toy Fish.

Pictures:








I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the adult Chum Salmon, also known as Dog Salmon or Keta salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, number 05 from the first series. This trout is widespread throughout Pacific Asia and North America, ranging widely in the oceans and travelling far inland for breeding. The Chum salmon is a very deep bodied. Their sizing is quite variable averaging 60cm; the TL given by Yujin Is 100cm (so it's probably based on a British Columbia variety, where the record of 112cm was caught.

This model is about 7.5 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:13. The figure is in an active swimming pose, with a face clearly meant to invoke a large male. The colouring reflects a fish that has already headed upstream for breeding, although it is not in full-on breeding colours, with large teeth in the jaw. This one is on the grey version of the river rock base. I am not fully aware of other specific Chum Salmon figures by other companies, however, the Chum Salmon is one of the Yujin figures that has a distinct colour variation—an almost black version, with deep red vertical markings, likely specific to a certain location and reflecting the peak of breeding season. I've only seen it available once on YAJ, and while I'm not big on variant figures, it looks pretty cool!

One other point about the Chum Salmon model—it is the first figure to come in two separate pieces (head & body). There are not many, and it's not always clear why some figures are in two parts and others are not.

Pictures:







This is the figure in two parts:


I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Japanese Huchen, also known as Sakhalin taimen, Parahucho perryi (apparently, renamed from Hucho, number 06 from the first series. This primitive member of the trout and salmon family is found in limited areas of the northwest Pacific—Hokkaido island in Japan, the Russian Sakhelin Island, and far-eastern portions of mainland Russia. This is also one of the largest living salmonids, the Yujin model said 100cm, but they have been found at 200cm. Unfortunately this large fish is under a great deal of direct and indirect pressure and is considered critically endangered; some captive breeding is done in Japan.

This model is about 8 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:25 (if using the 100cm length, it is 1:13, on par with the previous few salmonids). The figure itself is an adult male (although they can change sex) in a fairly straight pose, with a much smaller curve than many of the other salmonid figures from Yujin. The colour is very well-done, reflecting the spotted sides with a distinct shading from green to white on the sides. This one is on the brown version of the river rock base. I am pretty certain that the only other Huchen models are likely from Kaiyodo—the only one I could find is the Aquatales Polystone series, and it almost looks too trout-ish to me. The Yujin captures the long-bodied appearance of the Hucho better (but that's just my opinion).

Like the Chum Salmon model, the Japanese huchen also comes in two separate pieces (the split is just behind the dorsal, with a pelvic fin on each piece). In the case of this one, the straight-line longest model, that makes sense for fitting into whatever the original package was.

Pictures:








This is the figure in two parts:



I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[brontodocus]

Great walk-around, Sean! I know it can be tricky to estimate a fish figure's scale. Especially because many fish species have a very wide range of possible adult size since usually growth doesn't stop with reaching sexual maturity. The data given by fishbase is always based on measurements from publications so they should be more or less reliable as long as the data from those publications are correct. For fish figures, I usually use fishbase as a reference and I use the given minimal length at maturity (L_m) as the minimum value and max length as the maximum. So this will cover the entire length range for mature individuals of a given species, at least according to what's been compiled at fishbase. Depending on what larger taxon a fish species belongs to, you'll sometimes find TL (total length) more frequently than SL (standard length, i.e. without fins), like e.g. in salmonids (perhaps because salmonids are frequently caught with intact fins?). Standard length is sometimes preferred in other fish groups (probably because specimens may be sampled with their fins frequently damaged?). As for the maximum length of Parahucho perryi, it seems indeed a bit complicated... I've read the IGFA record is a little over 1 m long so 1 m is a proven maximum length (a photo of the specimen can be seen at fishbase, its TL is given as 101 cm). On the other hand larger specimens have been reported but I guess today they have a smaller chance to reach the approx. 2 m or more that have been reported. Regarding the figure, while it's lovely just like the other Yujin fishes I wish the vertical seam wouldn't be so obvious. The seams are seemingly (or seamingly?) less obvious in the others.

[sbell]

Great walk-around, Sean! I know it can be tricky to estimate a fish figure's scale. Especially because many fish species have a very wide range of possible adult size since usually growth doesn't stop with reaching sexual maturity. The data given by fishbase is always based on measurements from publications so they should be more or less reliable as long as the data from those publications are correct. For fish figures, I usually use fishbase as a reference and I use the given minimal length at maturity (L_m) as the minimum value and max length as the maximum. So this will cover the entire length range for mature individuals of a given species, at least according to what's been compiled at fishbase. Depending on what larger taxon a fish species belongs to, you'll sometimes find TL (total length) more frequently than SL (standard length, i.e. without fins), like e.g. in salmonids (perhaps because salmonids are frequently caught with intact fins?). Standard length is sometimes preferred in other fish groups (probably because specimens may be sampled with their fins frequently damaged?). As for the maximum length of Parahucho perryi, it seems indeed a bit complicated... I've read the IGFA record is a little over 1 m long so 1 m is a proven maximum length (a photo of the specimen can be seen at fishbase, its TL is given as 101 cm). On the other hand larger specimens have been reported but I guess today they have a smaller chance to reach the approx. 2 m or more that have been reported. Regarding the figure, while it's lovely just like the other Yujin fishes I wish the vertical seam wouldn't be so obvious. The seams are seemingly (or seamingly?) less obvious in the others.

Thanks!

It has been a bit of a challenge with the lengths--what is strange is how frequently the Yujin is appreciably smaller than the Fishbase one, so I am taking it that this is the size that they are working and scaling (pun? maybe?) from.

But for ones like this, where the max published is so much larger, it just seems like fun to include it. There are a few coming very late in Series II that are insanely different--that is when I have done more internet searching to find better consensus.

And it is too bad--and unusual--at how distinct the seam is, because the figure appears, from photos, to be more Huchen-like than even the Aquatales one (that one looks almost like a rainbow trout, to my eye, from some angles). I must say, I'm glad to be heading out of the salmonids after this one...the diversity ramps up from here!

[brontodocus]

And it is too bad--and unusual--at how distinct the seam is, because the figure appears, from photos, to be more Huchen-like than even the Aquatales one (that one looks almost like a rainbow trout, to my eye, from some angles). I must say, I'm glad to be heading out of the salmonids after this one...the diversity ramps up from here!

Yes, it looks as if the Yujin figure is more round than oval in cross section, typical for huchen species. By the way, since you posted several Japanese salmonids by Yujin, should you ever consider making paper models of fish there is a Japanese site by Yoshikazu Fujioka with many free models of Japanese and non-Japanese salmonids (including, among others, the Japanese Huchen and the only models of graylings I'm aware of): http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/amago/papercraft/papercraft2.html
They are quite easy and fun to make. I had many of them years ago but I gave most of them away as gifts.

[sbell]

I don't know if I could get into the paper models...it might never end. And also, I wouldn't know what to do with them! I have so little room as it is these days!

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Big-scaled Redfin, known in Japan as Ugui, Tribolodon hakoensis, number 07 from the first series. It's the first non-salmonid since the first figure, the Ayu , a smelt. The Big-scaled redfin is one of many minnows referred to as a 'dace', which is not specifically defined as anything other than a type of minnow (kind of a pointless word then...). This species is commonly found throughout Japan. I've also found reference to them as somewhat popular aquarium fish. The Yujin model states that the normal size is 30cm, but they can range up to 45cm or so (fairly large compared to most people's image of a 'minnow').

This model is about 5.5 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:5. The figure itself is based on the adult male in a fairly horizontal pose. Females are much duller in colour, so it's no surprise that they went with the bright red and black longitudinal stripes, it stands out quite a bit from most of the series which tend to the more natural browns, greens and greys of many fish. And yes, the fins are red! The base for this one is the river gravel with plant, the green actually contrasting well with the fish (meaning it would probably get eaten pretty quickly...). Given the widespread familiarity of the Big-Scaled Redfin in Japan it has shown up from other Japanese companies a few other times, including in the Colorata River sets, from Kaiyodo in the Birdtales series (under the genus Leuciscus) and from the Kitan Club Nature Technicolor series.

Pictures:







I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Pale Chub, known in Japan as Oikawa, Zacco platypus, number 08 from the first series. We appear to now be beyond the salmonids; the Pale Chub is another cyprinid ('minnow'). The Pale chub is a small carnivore that is normally found along eastern Asia from the Korean peninsula south to Vietnam. This species is also found throughout most of Japan. Like the Big-scaled redfin I've found reference to the Pale Chub as a somewhat popular aquarium fish. They are also fished by fly-fishermen. The Yujin model states that the normal size is 15cm.

This model is about 5.5 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:3. The figure itself is based on the adult male in a fairly horizontal pose. This is clear not only from the bright colours but from the long, elaborate anal fin. It's another nice, bright fish figure in the set, again standing out quite a lot from the more subdued species. The distinct colours and large scales are well painted and sculpted, respectively. The base for this one is the upright wood, although the gravel with plant would make more sense (it can be changed easily). Like many of the fish figures that are species found in Japan it has shown several times from other Japanese companies a few other times, including in the Colorata River sets, several Kaiyodo Capsule and other sets, and from the Kitan Club Nature Technicolor series; I am guessing that there are others as well.

Pictures:







I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Rosy Bitterling or Baratanago, Rodeus ocellatus, number 09 from the first series (the Yujin paper refers to it as the subspecies R.o. ocellatus but it appears all subspecies may have been collapsed together—there is some discrepancy there). The Rosy bitterling is a cyprinid (carps & minnows) found in two populations, in Japan and mainland China and Taiwan. Or at least it was two populations, although it appears the Chinese version has been introduced into Japan as well, where they hybridize. Like the previous cyprinids, the Rosy Bitterling is frequently found in aquariums, except this time I can personally attest to this, having had them in stock in aquarium stores (back in the day). The Yujin model states that the normal size is 8cm, although sexes and populations vary.

This model is about 4.5 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:2. The figure itself is an adult male (so it could potentially be 1:1 scale, as males are smaller) with the bright blues the species is known for. It's a bright little figure, and looks pretty much like it popped right out of an aquarium. The base for this one is the grey gravel with plant; with the plant being plastic, it adds to the fish-tank vibe. I know that I have seen this fish done by Kaiyodo in the Animatales lines, possibly others, but I don't know if any other company has made them as well.

Pictures:






Normally I'd have the bowhunting tournament pose picture—but I didn't take one! It doesn't really illuminate much. Maybe I couldn't get the acrylic stem out of the holes?

For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Paradise Fish (or Paradise Gourami), Macropodus chinensis , number 10 from the first series. This is the first and only anabantid figure in the set. The Paradise Fish is a generalist species that is found, like many of the fish in the series, in waterways throughout eastern Asia from Korea to Vietnam. Although highly adaptable and overall common in their range, they are apparently considered threated in Thailand due to pollution (which has allowed mosquitoes and their associated diseases to increase—lousy ecological cycles); and then, in Japan, they were deliberately introduced (for pest control!) and are considered invasive. As with the few previous entries, the Paradise Fish is common in aquariums—in fact, it was one of the first 'exotic' aquarium fish available to the 'western' world. They remain popular, despite being quite aggressive, mainly because they are also very attractive. The Yujin model (and other sources) states that the normal size is around 7cm.

This model is about 5 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:1 (rounding—and also, most Paradise Fish do not reach 7cm). The figure is a bright, colorful one, highlighting the bright blues and reds of the species (and still not fully doing the real fish justice). The bright green cheek patch, though, is a little too exaggerated. The scales and fin rays are distinct; the pose is more of a hunting or searching pose, as the figure's fins are fairly relaxed. The base for this one is the grey gravel. I cannot actually recall another figure of this species, but could easily be wrong—on the other hand, it is not a true Japanese fish, so those companies may be less inclined to make one; and non-Japanese companies simply don't make enough small freshwater fish, so it's doubtful (though I would be happy to be wrong).

Pictures:







I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[Jetoar]

Wonderful replica  .

[Jetoar]

Color application is awesome  .

[Jetoar]

Really awesome detailed figure  .

[Jetoar]

This line of figures is really spectacular  .

[Jetoar]

Colors are one of the best points of this figure  .

[Jetoar]

Wonderful Walk-around  .

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Japanese Rice Fish (or Medaka or Japanese Killifish), Oryzias latipes, number 11 from the first series. This is the only beloniforme fish in the set; this order includes other surface-oriented fish like flying fish, needlefish and halfbeaks (but, not killifish—taxonomy can be weird). The Japanese Rice fish is found throughout Eastern Asia, living in a wide range of shallow and slow-moving bodies of water like rice paddies, marshes, streams and tidal pools (it is a fresh- and brackish-water fish). Japanese Rice fish have been popular in aquariums for centuries, and their ease of care and short genome means that they are currently used by biologists for a number of different studies. The Yujin model (and other sources) states that the normal size is around 4cm.

This model is about 5 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:1 (maybe even as much as 2:1, as they can be as small as 3.2cm). The figure is a bright little yellow one, and it's easy to see why a real one would be popular in aquariums. The scales and fin rays are distinct; the longitudinal stripe, silver belly and big eyes are well painted, and the paint on them is nice and crisp. In many ways, the paint and colours (they yellow colour is the actual colour of the PVC) are almost idealized, the real animals tend to be a little more subdued—but it looks nicer on display! The base for this one is the grey wood stem, which, given the surface-swimming tendency, makes more sense than a stream-bottom of some sort. I am absolutely that this figure has been made by Kaiyodo a few times—definitely in Capsule sets, Animatales and ChocoQ. There may be other ones as well but I don't know—but it's always good to be wrong!

Pictures:







I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Three-spined Stickleback (or Tiddler in Great Britain, because that's kind of hilarious), Gasterosteus aculeatus , number 12 from the first series. This is the only representative of the stickleback order in the set. They stand out primarily for the large, prominent dorsal spines in front of the more normal dorsal fin (3-spines is the norm, but 2 or 4 also occur). Three-spined sticklebacks are found throughout much of the hemisphere; this subspecies (right off the Yujin paper) is the one most commonly found in Asia (including, of course, Japan) all the way over to the UK. The adults are freshwater or brackish, but some populations are anadromous (young are born at sea) while others are strictly freshwater; there are occasional incidents of marine adults as well. Stickleback are notable for their reproductive behaviour—males build nests to attract mates, and then care for the brood on his own (or broods, if he can entice more than one female). Given the side geographic range, it's no surprise that there is a wide range of morphological, reproductive and environmental variation. The Yujin model (and other sources) states that the normal size is around 10cm (5 cm is more common).

This model is about 4 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:3 (maybe even as much as 1:1, depending on the TL used). The figure is another brightly coloured one, but is almost subdued compared to some live ones. Unlike many of the Yujin models, this one is not distinctly male—or at least not a brooding male, as it does not have the bright red throat patch. It's also more bluish than greenish, but given the variability in the species (or even the subspecies) this isn't really a major issue. There is a lot of detail in the sculpting, complete with the thin creases along the body representing the lateral plating found in the species (given the depth and number, the figure represents a freshwater individual). The base for this one is the grey wood stem, although a stream bottom might make more sense; the research for these figures is making me think about this sort of thing now! I am pretty sure I have seen this species made by Kaiyodo a few times, possibly in the Birdtales line (I think it's in a nest), but I don't know for sure. Given the wide range and unique appearance, one would think there would be others.

Pictures:








I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.

[sbell]

This walk around is part of my series of the Yujin Freshwater Fish series. Part of this will be repeating this same introductory and concluding info because copy-and-paste is easy, and it keeps things consistent.  So feel free to only read this once (or never...) as well as the stuff at the end. My main motivation is that Yujin does not have many walk arounds on this site, which is a shame because they make some great models. It is also an attempt to flood (!) the site with some fishes, because there simply have not been enough lately.

One other thing--when I give the lengths of the living species, I will be using the length given on the figure's paper for consistency. Some of them seemed off, but they seem close—often better than my original usage of the Fishbase TL (unless the FB one is more interesting...). When there are more than one, I will use the higher values. And the scales will be rounded and approximate!

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Barramundi (or Asian Seabass), Lates calcarifer , number 13 from the first series. The Barramundi is a large catadromous (migrates from freshwater to spawn in the sea) perciform fish that ranges over much of the Indo-Pacific region from the Persian Gulf to Northern Australia, north to southern Japan. In some regions the Barramundi can be strictly marine. The Barramundi is a popular food fish and sport fish in much of its range, and is also kept in aquaria—very large aquaria! It is unusual that this fish, in a Yujin series, is not much associated with Japan, b >:But there is a related species, Lates japonicus , a slightly smaller species with some small but noticeable (to specialists) differences; the two species are similar enough that L. japonicus was only named in 1984. The Yujin Barramundi model gives the size of 100cm, but some sources say as much as 200cm, although fish of this size would be rare now.

This is also the last 'regular' model from Yujin's Series 1 freshwater models! There are only a couple special left in this series (not counting repaints).

EDIT--Okay, so some accidental research indicates this model is actually the Secret or Special paint version of the Barramundi, meant to represent a juvenile (or, maturing juvenile). The 'regular' figure is mostly a slate greyish adult. Their numbers are the same though.

This model is about 7 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:14 ranging to 1:29, depending on the TL used). This figure is not all that bright in colour, but this is in keeping with the natural colours of the fish—tan or brown fading to cream on the ventral surface, with just the faint hint of light bars on the sides and face—these patterns are easy to miss when simply glancing at the fish, but close inspection shows how much detail has gone into the paint work. The model itself is a deep and massive looking figure, befitting such a big and strong fish. One thing that is hard to miss is the deep red eyes of the fish, which may be a bit exaggerated but tend to be at least pinkish (the Japanese species is locally named for their red eyes. The base for this one is the brown gravel with plant. I know for certain that Lates figures have been made several times—often, they are made using the juvenile pattern of strong dark bands, as in a recent CapsuleQ figure. One of the most notable models is another version of this Yujin Barramundi, except more striped and, possibly, meant to represent the Lates japonicus or a juvenile of the same species. It is different enough to be worth tracking down and having both (but so far I don't...).

Like the Chum Salmon and the Japanese huchen, the Barramundi also comes in two separate pieces (the head and pectoral fins are separate). This is a pretty large figure overall, so it may have been required to fit the package that it came in.

Pictures:









This is the figure in two parts:



I refer to this one as the bowhunting tournament pose--a hole in it, tossed on its back...but 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).


For those not familiar, the Yujin Freshwater fishes were released as two series of fish, for a total of 32 fish figures. This number includes at least 3 secret figures (whose numbers remain in sequence--all figures are marked somewhere with the number) but does not incorporate a number of re-issues and repaints; there was at least one complete reissue (from which mine all come so far). The original releases, from what I can find, had yellow papers; the second release used light blue for the Series I and black for Series II. The entire set, with all variants and secrets, is actually available as a boxed set on YAJ (for around $300!), but individual figures can be found there or even on eBay for a variety of prices (the secrets & specials are of course the most expensive). Myself, there are still two or three species I don't have, but I haven't put a lot of effort into changing that...

Another nice thing about these Yujin fish model is that, like most Yujin releases, almost all of them come with a natural base and acrylic stem to display them (the Series II has a few exceptions). There are 4 or 5 bases used, plus a few unique ones for some specials. When I received mine several years ago, the fish+acrylic stems were not directly associated with the bases, so I just went with whatever worked (so if you have one or two, and the base is different, now you know why--I couldn't find a way to be sure if the bases were specific). All of the bases are based on environment--wood stems, gravel, river rocks, silt+plants, that sort of thing. Most are monochromatic, but a few are painted differently (again, often for the specials). In fact, if I wanted to get really pedantic, the bases themselves are labelled with letters based on the style, but I won't.