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 Asian Arowana (or Asian Bonytongue, or Dragonfish), Scleropages formosus , number 14 from the first series—but it's the Special Secret (it is, however, labelled with a '14')! In some ways, this is one of the easiest fish to write about, because this Southeast Asian bonytongue is a well-known and popular aquarium fish. On the other hand, its familiarity means that there is less to say, so I'll be brief. Asian arowana are an osteoglossid, known as a group as the bonytongues due to the toothed bone on the floor of the mouth. They are voracious, large-bodied predators originally found in much of the Southeast Asian peninsula, although they are endangered in the wild due to habitat loss, hunting for food and collection for the aquarium trade. Fortunately they are also bred in captivity or on farms, and have produced a wide range of colours influenced by their geographic ranges (which may or may not indicate separate species—again, taxonomy). This figure represents one of the red varieties, but a rarer green dragon version also exists. The Yujin Asian Arowana model gives the size of 90cm, and I have seen live aquarium specimens of this size, which is a pretty impressive fish.

This model is 7.2 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:13. As I mentioned above, the fish is one of the red varieties, and each scale is painted red on the posterior margin with a dark brown or gold to the front—this paint job is fantastic, and the figure really shines. There is a great deal of attention given to the details of this fish, from the well-sculpted eyes and mouth margin, to the detailed fins and patterns on the opercula. This figure comes with one of the special bases—a mound of river bottom with sticks embedded in it; it is also painted in all of its details. I'm not even going to try to list all of the Asian Arowana models that area available—they have been made by Toba Aquarium, Kaiyodo in a several forms, Colorata, and even other, random companies. I have 7 different models myself, and I know that there are several others (including, as mentioned, a green dragon version from Yujin).

Although the figures is not as overall massive as the Barramundi or Huchen, the Asian Arowana is also a 2-part figure, with the separation occurring right at the back of the gills, which is really the most natural placement.

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 Chum Salmon egg and alevin (hatchling), Oncorhynchus keta , number 15 based on the number stamped into it—but it's another Special Secret! The difference with this one is that the numbering would appear to place it in the Series 2 set—but the papers for series 2 start at 16, so it's a little unusual for the Secret to be 'first' in the series. On top of that, the adult Oncorhynchus keta is part of Series 1, so we would expect them to be connected, but nope. The figure represents the two earliest stages of a chum salmon life cycle—an egg that is close to hatching, and the newly-hatched alevin with egg sac still attached. I just recently visited a Rainbow trout hatchery and can attest that this model really does look like the real thing (seeing as they are in the same genus). Chum salmon are of course laid and born far upstream in rivers, migrating to the open sea to grown for a few years before returning to start the cycle all over again (assuming that a dam or oil spill didn't happen). It is surprisingly difficult to find a size for the alevin, but a length of 1.3cm seems about right compared to the rainbow trout alevin I saw. Yujin doesn't give a particular size.

EDIT--as mentioned, I found out after the fact that this figure is, in fact, the Secret figure for the Series II line. It still doesn't explain the weird numbering!

This alevin in the model is 3cm long, making the figure roughly 2:1, making it one of the few models that is larger than the real thing. The model is really two separate but related models—one is an unhatched egg, with a detailed, near-hatching salmon inside—the eye and curled up body is clearly visible inside, which is quite the feat of sculpting, since the egg cannot be opened. The alevin is equally well-depicted, showing the major parts of the alevin body—undistinguished tail, bigger head with huge eye, and yolk sac. There is a lot of subtle detail involved, with a slight translucent plastic indicating the near-transparency of the alevin, and the red circulatory system being the only real colour. As well as being the only freshwater Yujin model with two individuals, this is also the only model that does not use the acrylic rods to mount the figures—each has a small peg as part of the mold, with a corresponding hole in the base where it belongs. The base itself is a small pile of brown and black rocks; being a special figure, the base gets more detail; and being a specialized base, this base can only work for the salmon baby set.

While I can't be completely certain, I don't think a salmon egg or alevin has been made before—although a life-cycle set with a fingerling, juvenile and non-breeding adult, plus the breeding-form adult, would be kind of cool!

Pictures:







This is the egg close up:


This is the alevin close up:



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 Langsdorf's Goldfish (or Ginfuna in Japan), Carassius langsdorfii (according to Fishbase; most sources refer to it as the subspecies Carassius auratus langsdorfii ), number 16 and the first definite model from the second series. This is the first of several cyprinids in the series, and probably the least familiar of the ones made. Information about this (sub?)species is difficult to determine. From what I can tell, it is a 'cryptic' species in East Asian waters, primarily from Japan but possibly also parts of China, Korea and the Taiwan. From what I have been able to determine (using translated Japanese sources) this species is gynogenetic, meaning that the entirely female population only requires male input to activate the eggs. In which case, this fish is truly unique. Otherwise it appears to be a more or less normal 'goldfish'. The Yujin model (and other sources) states that the length is around 30cm, although 15-20cm is more normal.

This model is about 5 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:6 scale (or as large as 1:3 using the common size of 15cm). The one that I have is painted as a captive fish, in a yellowish-brown colour fading to silver on the belly. This appears to be a natural pattern, as it would offer some camouflage to avoid getting eaten pretty quickly in a stream! It is a bright little figure, very goldfish-like, and looks like ones you would see in many shops; it is realistic to pass for a very small live fish! It is also in the morphology of a less-modified fish (gynogenesis may make creating strains and breeds more difficult) so the fins are short, and the body more carp-like with big shiny scales. The base is the grey wood stems. I am not aware of any other Langsdorf's Goldfish figure; that said, it is possible that there is a different one in the Yujin Goldfish set (a separate set) but I don't have any from that series, so I don't know.

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.

[bmathison1972]

According to this site (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/egge.htm) this figure is a secret in the second series, although that would make it rather oddly numbered.
See here: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/tansui2e.htm

[sbell]

According to this site (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/egge.htm) this figure is a secret in the second series, although that would make it rather oddly numbered.
See here: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/tansui2e.htm

I just found the same information, just haven't updated. And yeah, it's a weird numbering.

Of course, I also just found out the Barramundi I pictured is the 'special' version in juvenile colours. The paper is tiny and vague, it was only when I saw both that I realized what was happening.

[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 Common Goldfish, Carassius auratus , number 17 from the second series. Unlike the Langsdorf's Goldfish, this one is almost too well-known to bother with describing in much detail! They are the classic fish-bowl fish (even if that is horribly cruel to them). Originally in the wild as a brownish or silvery (but variable) freshwater fish (the Prussian Carp), in China the Common goldfish has been reared for hundreds of years as both a food fish and as an ornamental pet. Their genetic plasticity has led to some very unusual morphologies and colours, and they are a staple of aquaria and ponds everywhere. Unfortunately, their adaptability means that they are also a staple among invasive and introduced species around the world (especially cooler regions)—my home province just put out a public notice requesting/demanding that people stop flushing and otherwise releasing them into wild water ways as they risk becoming established. The Yujin model (and other sources) gives a length is around 20cm, although larger ones are documented (and, of course, many don't live to attain near those lengths due to poor husbandry habits...).

This model is about 5.5 cm long (this is TL, including the long tail), making the figure roughly 1:4 scale. This model is based on the breed referred to as a comet, which features a more-or-less unaltered body, but the two lobes of the tail fin are much longer than normal (see the Langsdorf's Goldfish for an idea of the 'wild' state). These are also the strain most commonly found where I live as feeder goldfish. This model is actually the Secret or Special paint version; the regular is an olive-brown/grey model. This one is the 'classic' bright orange with white highlights typical of pet goldfish—the fins are a darker, translucent orange, giving a very realistic look to the fish. The belly is a distinct white. The base is a special painting of the gravel + plant, with each grain of sand and gravel individually painted in a variety of bright colours—perhaps to mimic the gravel of a fish tank? This would make sense, as that is the only way this fish could survive; even in outdoor ponds in yards I have heard of birds like herons stopping and taking all of the brightly coloured fish. The domestic goldfish is probably the most common fish toy/figure/model out there. Safari makes several in different sizes, Yujin has an entire series devoted to just goldfish strains, and every company has made at least a few, right down to low-quality novelties and dollar-level toys. To say nothing of the vast amount of artwork, sculpture, and other products that exist, which is logical given the long history of the fish as a pet.

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]

Lovely paint aplication  .

[Jetoar]

Awesome translucent eggs  .

[Jetoar]

Awesome cast of this great specie  .

[Jetoar]

Really alive figure. If you put it in aqurium, you can do jokes  .

[Jetoar]

Thanks partner again for another walk-around 

[sbell]

Really alive figure. If you put it in aqurium, you can do jokes  .

I have an aquarium, but the fish might try to eat it. One in particular...

[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 Perch (also known as Aucha perch or Oyanirami in Japan), Coreoperca kawamebari ), number 19 from the second series. This is a small-sized predatory perch that lives rivers and streams. Often in the middle parts of the water column hunting for invertebrates and anything else. They are found in southern Korea and parts of Japan, although they have been introduced to non-native regions of Japan as well. They are aggressively solitary (except as fry) and there is a big eye spot on the gill cover that is used in disputes between adults. The Yujin model gives a length of around 35cm, but most sources I could find said 11-13cm.

Note—I do not have a model of #18, the Honmoroko, Gnathopogon caerulescens . Maybe someday. The second release one is kind of neat, if I could hunt one down.

This model is about 6 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:6 scale; using the more frequently found average length of 12cm, the figure is closer to 1:2 scale. Given the very complex colours and patterns of the Japanese Perch, the paint scheme is very close to the real thing, with an excellent base of crème-color overlain by numerous dark brown bands. The ventral surface also has a number of thin horizontal reddish-ochre stripes from pectoral to vent. On the face, there are several stripes radiating from the back of the eye, fading from brown at the top of the head to a more reddish-ochre toward the jaw. The fins are translucent, almost transparent, with lots of little blue-white spots. The one feature that almost seems played down is the gill spot—this spot can be very large, bigger than the eye itself, but on the figure is light grey om one side and red & grey on the other, and a little smaller than the eye. Perhaps the model is meant to evoke a sub-adult or subordinate individual? Despite the small size, the figure does a good job of evoking the attitude that these fish have. The base is the raised vertical rock (probably the least appropriate base, given their habitat preference). Whereas this rock is grey in the Series I models, this one and most others from Series II appear to be grey with a brownish wash, which looks more natural. The Japanese Perch has shown up a few other times, as always from Japanese companies. There are at least 2 or 3 Kaiyodo models, and could be 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). It may be obvious, but I couldn't the acrylic peg out of this one, so it may be a little more apt than normal to call this one a bow-hunting target.


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 Amur Catfish, Silurus asotus , number 21 from the second series. This is a potentially large catfish (the only catfish in the series) that is fond of slower moving water such as irrigation canals and streams. They are found in Eastern Asia and Japan. Amur catfish are predators of smaller fish, which is obvious by the anterior-facing mouth; this is one of the larger native predatory fish in Japan. Despite their size they are kept in aquariums, and are reared or fished for food. Like the other large catfish of Japan, they are also locally associated with causing earthquakes, which is unlikely but gives them a special cultural regard there. The Yujin model gives a length of around 60cm (which is probably more common) but several sources mentioned that they can reach 130cm.

Note—I do not have a model of #20, the Carp, Cyprinus carpio . Maybe someday. There are actually 4 different versions—one is the wild, natural colouring of olive green or brownish; the other three are domestic varieties representing Cyprinus carpio haematopterus. These latter 3 are fairly uncommon.

This model is about 7 cm long, making the figure roughly 1:9 scale based on the Yujin value; using the larger maximum value the figure is closer to 1:19 scale. The figure is another very nice, subtle approach to colouring, with a dark brown base mottled with lighter brown patches throughout the body; the base colour fades to white on the distended belly. There are even shaded and highlighted patches, giving the impression of light and shadows casting over the fish. The fins stand out as translucent yellow, while the two pairs of whiskers (an adult trait) are molded into the body and are dark brown. Overall the fish has a definite hunting appearance to it—the bright black eyes make it look like a fish that is always ready to eat. The base is the raised vertical rock, again grey with a brownish wash. There are a number of silurid catfish made by Japanese companies, but I am not always clear if they intend to be this one, or one of the other 2 species found in Japan ( Silurus biwaensis and Silurus lithophilus ). Kaiyodo has made at least one of each of these other two, and I am certain that other models exist of all 3 catfish.

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]

Really beautiful details  .

[Jetoar]

Really good colors aplication  .

[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 Spined Loach (Shimadojou in Japan), Cobitis biwae , number 22 from the second series. This is a small, long-bodied loach endemic to Japan, there are numerous potential subspecies but no distinction was made with the model. They prefer river environments, living primarily along the gravel bottoms. They are predators in the substrate, looking for worms and other invertebrates. The Japanese Spined Loach is exported for keeping in aquaria, and apparently they are also eaten in some places. I remember having 'dojo loaches' and the name may come from this (although the species was likely related but different). The Yujin model gives a length of 14cm, other sources differed but were close.

This model is about 5.5cm long, making the figure roughly 1:3 scale. The sculpting of the fish is excellent, capturing even the barbels around the mouth and subtle variations in the mass of the body (the dorsal muscle of the body is wider than the ventral and lateral surfaces) giving the fish a life-like shape. The fins are well defined, with each fin ray clearly present in the yellowish, translucent fins. The colouring of the figure, in my opinion, tends to be less impressive.  The fish has a pale cream base colour, with three series of dark blotches, one along each side and one down the dorsal margin. Between these rows of blotches is a number of irregular dots, dashes and squiggles. Some of the anterior squiggles are highlighted in black. One the base of the caudal fin is a single, darker blotch. In the real fish, these blotches and squiggles exist but are less defined than the solid colouring in the figure, giving it a more cartoonish appearance (when it comes to loaches, they are generally cartoonish enough!). The base is the brown small gravel, with a plastic plant. There are definitely other models of this fish made, of course by Japanese companies—I own both a Kaiyodo Animatales and Colorata model (both of which are labelled as C. biwae and so are not related species, and there are likely 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 Japanese Eel (Nihon Unagi in Japan), Anguilla japonica , number 23 from the second series. This is the only freshwater eel found in Japan, although it is found throughout Eastern Asia as far south as Vietnam. Like many other freshwater eels, the Japanese Eel is catadromous, spawning and hatching at sea but living much of their life in freshwater habitats and brackish estuaries. The eels can change morphology considerably depending where they are in their life cycle; some never enter freshwater, which results in a different colouring. They are important food fish in their native region, but are unfortunately considered endangered (like all anguillids, AKA freshwater eels) due to fishery pressure and habitat loss. Some farm-raising is done, but they are not bred in captivity; instead juveniles are captured at sea and raised in farms, which does nothing to reduce natural population pressure. The Yujin model gives a length of 100cm, but several other online sources gave a length of 150cm.

This model is difficult to measure, given its various curves, but measures 16cm long, giving a scale of 1:6; using the longer length of some sources of 150cm, the scale would be more like 1:9. This is definitely one of the most interesting models in terms of sculpt—instead of the normal more-or-less straight body, this sculpt has given the eel its full range of curves and bends, reflecting the snake-like appearance of the fish. The details are equally excellent—the fins are all a translucent yellowish colour, finely detailed with the fin rays; the single dorsal-caudal-anal wraps completely around the body as it should, following the edges of the body as it curves. The ventral fin flattens out against the body part way, reflecting the body's weight as the fish swims around the river bottom. The main body of the fish is very dark brown on the dorsal surface, changing abruptly to silver on the ventral surface. The head is well-sculpted, and the eyes are painted well, with the light eyeball and dark pupil giving a sense of life to the fish. The base that this one is on is the same as the arowana one, essentially a mound of river bottom with branches, although painted with fewer colours. There are definitely other models of freshwater eels, but possibly only a couple others are A. japonica. Most are Japanese, but Bullyland has made a European freshwater eel. There is a 'secret' version of the Yujin, a completely yellow or gold model, but I haven't ever seen it available for a reasonable price.

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 Northern Snakehead, Channa argus , number 24 from the second series. These large, strictly freshwater predators are naturally found in the Korean Peninsula, China and Russia. Given the northern range, it is not surprising that they are cold tolerant, and have since been introduced to several other places including the US, Japan and parts of Europe (so far Canada has kept them out, but they are heading to the Great Lakes, so we'll see how that goes). They are considered a food source, which explains their widespread occurrence; their large size, adaptability and voracious appetites, however, can be disastrous for local ecosystems, especially ones where the original top predators (like gars) have been removed or reduced, letting the northern snakehead become the top fish wherever it is found. They are also obligate air breathers, able to survive for short times out of water and possibly find new bodies of water, which makes them even harder to contain. The Yujin model gives a length of 90cm, but several other online sources gave a largest-known length of 150cm!

This was actually one of my first two Yujin freshwater fish figures, because despite the terrible havoc they can play when introduced, they are such cool fish—I've only kept a much smaller, more docile species but I have seen these ones in aquaria, and they can be very impressive. This is also one of my favorite Yujin fish models, and one of the few where I have more than one.

This model measures 7cm long, giving a scale of 1:13 with the Yujin value; using the longest length of 150cm, the scale would be more like 1:21. The model is sculpted in a cruising pose, with pectoral fins pressed tight to the body, slightly curved with big bright eyes. This version of the figure does a great job capturing the light brown base-colouring with dark brown blotches forming bands along the sides. The figure does a great job illustrating a key colouring feature, two thick brown bands at the base of the tail, the posterior-most of which does not have any light markings behind it. The rest of the body has variable brown washes over it, giving the fish a life-like colouring. (From pictures, the First Release of this figure from Yujin looks more like a different species like C. maculatus even if it is not supposed to be). The fins are all translucent yellow or brown. The base that this one is on is the same as the arowana one, essentially a mound of river bottom with branches, but completely grey. This is, as far as I have found so far, the only snakehead model that has been made, although I would like to be proven wrong.  I already mentioned the Yujin First Release version, which maybe I'll pick up some day, but otherwise these fish are mostly ignored as toys.

The Northern Snakehead is also the first of the Series II fishes two come in two pieces, with the head coming off at the opercula.

Pictures:








The two pieces:


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). In this instance, it's fortunate that I have two, because I couldn't get the rod out of the fish on the base (the other is not displayed on a base). It's also the one I used for the two-piece picture.


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 Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides , number 25 from the second series. These are large freshwater bass naturally found in the Mississippi River system of North America. However, they are popular sport fish and have been released in many parts of the world, including, of course, Japan. Like the Northern Snakehead, Largemouth Bass are large, voracious predators, and if conditions are suitable, can become established and spread quickly. Once this happens, the effect on natural populations is intense. Interestingly, a related species, Micropterus dolomieu , the Smallmouth Bass, is also invasive in Japan, but Yujin didn't make a model of this one (Kaiyodo recently did though!); it is not, however, the only Yujin centrarchid as we'll see!. The Yujin model gives a length of 60cm, but several other online sources gave larger total lengths, including one (Fishbase) stating of 97cm (which seems insanely large)!

This model measures 6.5cm long, giving a scale of 1:9 with the Yujin value; using the longest length of 97cm, the scale would be more like 1:15. The colouring of the model I very complex, with a lighter crème base colour and a range of darker and lighter brown and olive green washes darkening from the dorsal surface to the belly. This is punctuated with several dark black bands down each side and lighter brown horizontal stripes across each cheek. The fins are a translucent dark olive colour. The most notable feature is the large, open mouth—a big cavern with white lips and painted pink inside. There is some sculpting of the roof of the mouth, but not much. Between the mouth and the big gold eye, this model is a small reminder of a powerful predator. The base that this one is on is the vertical rock face, except in light brown. Largemouth Bass have shown up a few times as models, not only from other Japanese makers like Kaiyodo and  Kinto-Favorite, but also ones with American connections (of course, given the natural range). These include Replica Toy Fish Company, New Ray, and a recent large figure from Safari Ltd, plus I'm certain of a few more generic bass-like fish from cheaper companies.

Pictures:





[/img]


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.