Go Jump in a Lake! Freshwater Fish!

[Jetoar]

Really cool figure of Tetraodon family  . The seaweed is a good point  .

[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 Starry Flounder (or inn Japanese, Kawagarei, among other names), Platichthys stellatus , number 31 from the second series—and, sadly, THE LAST FIGURE IN THE SERIES! Which means that until/unless I guess the two missing ones, or some other versions of some of the figures, this is the end of the walkarounds. I may also eventually throw in some Yujin fish from the other Saltwater Series, but I don't know when!

Of all the fish in the collection, the Starry Flounder may be the most distinctive. This is a 'right-eye flounder', meaning that as the fish grows into adulthood, the eyes tend to move over to the right side of the body (juveniles are born with eyes and body shape like a normal fish); sometimes the right eye moves to the left side of the body. They are predatory fish, eating fish, molluscs, crustaceans and even brittle stars. Like all flounders, the Starry Flounder is a master of camouflage, blending into the substrate to wait for prey and ambush it. Starry Flounders are important game fish as well as being commercially important to fisheries. They are found throughout the Northern Pacific, on both sides, meaning that they extend from Korea and Japan across to Alaska down the coast of Canada to the US Pacific. This Starry Flounder is an unusual one for the Freshwater series, given the flounders are usually thought of as marine animals. While they are generally marine, and potentially deep water marine, they can be found inshore and even in estuarine environments. They will, however, move far upriver, as much as 120km, possibly for breeding or at least growing into adults. So, the Starry Flounder can be part of the Freshwater Series, why not? The Yujin model gives a length of 55cm, but most other sources I found gave a maximum size of 91cm.

This model measures 6cm long, giving a scale of roughly 1:9 (1:15 using the length of 91cm). The Starry Flounder is in a flat pose—kind of boring, but as it is one that does not have a base, there was not much else that they could really do (unlike the Colorata halibut, which has a base and is in an undulating pose). Starting with the bottom, this fish is clearly a full grown adult, with no colour (it fades away after they transform) except some pink washes highlighting the sculpting around the head and lateral line. The muscle tissue is visible as white chevrons on the slightly darker-white background. The only 'ventral' fin, the left pectoral, is sculpted as an impression on the body, painted grey and white. The 'top' surface is far more colorful, of course. Like many flatfish, the Starry Flounder can be quite variable in its patterns, so they appear to have gone all out! The body is a mixture of dark brown and olive-green, with numerous white markings along each edge (the original dorsal and ventral surface). On either side of the lateral line are a series of white circles from the gills to the base of the tail fin. The pelvic and 'dorsal' pectoral fins are a translucent orange. The dorsal and anal fin, as well as the tail fin, are also dark orange, with thick black bars along them. Yujin did a really good job with this, as these markings on the fins are (apparently) a reliable species identifier. The eyes, of course, are well done--big a bulbous, and placed very assymetrically, with the 'travelling' eye near the original 'top' of the head, as it should be. When it comes to other Starry Flounder figures, I can't find any; even among other flatfish there do not appear to be a lot of them. I mentioned the Colorata one (from the Saltwater Fishes box), and there is a Kaiyodo 'food fish' set with a different flounder (it might be a Starry, but I couldn't definitively find its species). There are also strap and magnet figures from Yujin, which may be the same figure as the Freshwater Fishes one, but I don't know for sure (the eel, for example, is completely different but not as good).

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. It is the first time that I see a figure of a flatfish. The schema of color is really good and the detail of the eyes is one of the best points. Thanks you again  .

[brontodocus]

Great! It's even more interesting because it's a flounder which means it's left-eyed in contrast to other members of its family (the "righteye flounders"!). It's a pity flatfishes are so rarely made as figures.

[brontodocus]

This one is so much better than its Furuta Choco Egg Wild Animal Series 4 counterpart!

[brontodocus]

Brilliant! So far, I only knew about a Kaiyodo mudskipper, this one is new to me!

[sbell]

Brilliant! So far, I only knew about a Kaiyodo mudskipper, this one is new to me!

There are actually a couple from both companies--I have a different species from Yujin from the Saltwater series (they should have just done a brackish set...) and one of the two that Kaiyodo makes, both of which are bottlecap figures!

[sbell]

This one is so much better than its Furuta Choco Egg Wild Animal Series 4 counterpart!

It really is, smaller than the Kaiyodo though.

[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 Willow Shiner (or in Japan, Honmoroko), Gnathopogon caerulescens , number 18 from the second series. Yes, I was able to chase one down (actually, two one from release 1, one from release 2!) so I only have one more species, #20, the Carp, to chase down.

The Willow Shiner is a medium-sized minnow, part of the carp family. This species is endemic to Lake Biwa in Japan, but has been released in other waters as they are popular food fishes. Unfortunately, this popularity lead to overfishing in Lake Biwa, leading the Japanese environment ministry to list them as critically endangered. And also driving up the prices of the fish to luxury-food levels, which probably didn't help. They are mid-water hunters, feeding on plankton, insects and other small swimming organisms. The Yujin model gives a length of 14cm, which is close to the 15cm I found elsewhere.

This model measures 5cm long, giving a scale of 1:3. The two models are similar but not exactly the same in colour—this is the first time I have had the same model from both releases to compare. The Second release version is lighter overall, with a light, shiny copper dorsal colour with a distinct cream coloured side and belly. The lateral line is marked by a thin green stripe from the gill to the base of the tail, this line is bordered top and bottom by the cream colour. Most fins are nearly transparent, with light brown along the fin rays. The pectoral fins are an exception, being somewhat translucent but painted a dark brown overall. The scales are large and deeply sculpted. The eyes are large and light golden, with big black pupil.

The First Release figure is very similar, with some subtle differences. First, the dorsal colouration is a much darker copper colour, and extends all the way to the lateral line. The sides and ventral surface are a little darker. The green lateral line stripe is a darker green than the Second Release, and does not extend to the base of the tail. All of the fins, including the pectoral, are the transparent material, with dark brown along the fin rays. The eyes are more silvery, with the same dark black pupil.

Overall, the differences are subtle but become clear. The paint job on the second release model is more defined and detailed, and this may be true of the two lines overall (I only have one other to definitively compare at this point). The First Release version came to me on the brown gravel-with-plant base; the Second Release is on the same base, but the gravel is painted in various colours.

I am not aware of other Willow Shiner models; if they do exist they would likely be from Japan. Possibly from Yujin again, as a strap figure or something!

Pictures (In the order described above, second release then first):
SECOND RELEASE VERSION



   




FIRST RELEASE VERSION



   





COMPARISONS (First Release on the left, Second on the Right):



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]

I am now in the realm of 'versions' of Yujin fish figures. This means that most won't require much in the way of species descriptions (after, perhaps, this one) or company information. So there will be a bit less description, and more comparison photos (sort of like the Willow Shiner, except they were combined together in one post because I received them at the same time). The original Red Asian Arowana walkaround can be seen here.

So now, the fish!

This figure is the Se-Kin Dragon Arowana AKA Malyasian Golden Highback Arowana, Scleropages formosus (although some researchers have split up the species into four, and the Gold Malaysian variety may belong in [i[S. aureus[/i] if the species are valid—and most researchers are not yet convinced).  The figure is number 14 from the first series, second release—I think. It isn't always clear, and I didn't receive the papers to confirm, but it appears right. This variety (species?) is in most ways like the previous Red Asian Arowana, but is found only in waters of Malaysia. The Highback name comes from the pattern on the dorsal surface—where the scale colour does not 'cross the back' (in which case, this would be a cross back), leaving the dorsal black or silver. In this variety the 'Golden' part of the name comes from the shiny gold colour of the scales. Like all Asian arowana, these are considered endangered, although captive breeding is done in many parts of Southeast Asia. The Gold Crossback varieties are especially popular as the color and shine is considered a good omen for wealth—which means that they are highly sought after, but most varieties are quite rare (and expensive).

Most aspects of the model are the same as the Asian Red Arowana. It is about 7.2cm long, giving a scale of 1:13. The main difference is colour—instead of reds, the scales are more of a greenish-gold or silver colour. The front margins are dark grey, and the posterior margins of some are more yellow. Along the dorsal row of scales, the colour is primarily the dark grey colour with a silver posterior border (hence the Highback variety). This colour extends across the top of the head. The fins are all somewhat translucent, with reddish washes. The cheeks are the same yellowish-gold colour as the scales. The base that I received is different from the other Asian Arowana, being the coloured-gravel—with-plant style. I am never sure if these are the 'correct' ones or not (again, I didn't get the paper for this one).

Like the Red Asian Arowana, this model is a two-part model, with a head that separates behind the opercula.

In comparing the two figures, the most obvious difference is the different colours. The Malaysian Gold Highback is a nice departure from the far more common red varieties that are seen by most figure makers. The only other difference between the models is the curve at the tail—in the Red Arowana model, the caudal fin is in a straight line with the dorsal fin, pointing straight back. In the Gold Highback, the tail is distinctly curved to starboard compared to the rest of the body. I doubt that Yujin would have made two different sculpts for the model (without making more significant changes—and I do know from an upcoming figure that re-using sculpts is definitely something that Yujin did). More likely it is a variation in the molds—or maybe it is actually from the First Release (since there is no easy way of knowing).

PICTURES:











COMPARISONS (Red variety on the left, Golden Highback on the Right):



(note that the Red Arowana is actually a crossback, with the red extending over the dorsal scales (mostly)--I learned things doing this!)

[sbell]

Like the previous Se-Kin Dragon Arowana, this model is a re-paint of a previous sculpt.

The difference here is that it is being used as a representation of a completely different species! It turns out, this is not uncommon among the Yujin Freshwater fish—although most represent at least hybrids of one of the original species of the figure (and I've only seen pictures of a few; they are pretty cool, but very rare and expensive, so that's a big nope. I thought the Gold Arowana was a tough find!).

This figure is represents a breeding colour Cherry Salmon (or Masu Salmon), Oncorhynchus masou masou . It is stamped with a number 5—meaning that while this figure may share the name of figure 03 (the 'normal' cherry salmon) it is a re-paint of the Chum Salmon figure. But what a difference the paint job made!

Many people are at least somewhat familiar with the morphological changes in male salmon when they head upstream to breed (and then die—altering your skull and colouration, plus fighting rivers and predators all the way along the river, is exhausting!). For me, I was most familiar with the changes to Sockeye salmon, with the red body and bright green face, plus a large, fanged, hooked mouth. The Masu Salmon has a similar change to the skull, with a hooked face, but the colours are, literally, out of a Star Wars movie (sadly, Phantom Menace, but the best part...).

The figure captures this colour in fantastic detail. The base colour of the figure is black or very dark olive green (depends on lighting) with bright red irregular bands up both sides of the body, extending from the belly to just below the dorsal margin. The fins are dark and yellowish, with small black spots over all of them.  The eyes are large, and yellow, with black pupils, and the mouth is painted a solid pink. The belly is very light pink. When I first saw this figure in an auction, I thought that Yujin had gone mad—but a little research, and it turns out that they perfectly captured the almost monster-ish colouration of a full breeding-state male Masu salmon. The one thing I cannot find out, is if the hooked jaw has large teeth in it—these are not present in the model, but this is not surprising as the original model is based on a Chum Salmon, which doesn't have the teeth.

The breeding-age size that I could find for the Cherry Salmon is about 79cm TL; given the 6cm length of the figure, that gives it a scale of 1:13, also like the Chum Salmon.

Like the original mold, the Breeding Colour Cherry Salmon is a two-part one, with the head separating behind the operculum.

The figure I have is on a plain grey river back base—from what little I can find, I think it should have been on one of the painted bases (most of the Yujin Secrets & Specials were) but the seller may have had them jumbled up. No worries though—I just wanted the fish!

PICTURES:
I have a few different ones—the model, of course, followed by a few companion shots with the other Cherry salmon, and with the Chum Salmon. Plus, a picture with the unique paper that it came with!










With the other Cherry Salmon figure—combine these two with the Alevin & Egg model (wrong species, but most salmonids at that size look similar) and we almost have the life cycle; just need a juvenile headed to sea!


Compared to the Chum Salmon, which is the original mold:



With the fancy paper—note that there are 3 blacked out figures—tis figure, the Asian arowana, and a third one. These appear to be the Cherry salmon figure, repainted to represent various colour variations and hybrids. I think there are at least 3 or four of them. I doubt I will ever get my hands on one of those (the Carp/Koi have proven hard enough!)

[brontodocus]

Nice! It's always good to see that several different Oncorhynchus species made it into figure form, I always found the diversity within the genus a bit confusing (which is possibly also due to the fact that we have zero native and just one introduced species of them in Europe).

[brontodocus]

Great figure!  Once again they managed to make the seam (where the two parts join) very inconspicuous.

[brontodocus]

Sweet little figure! Not sure if I've ever seen a photo of it.

[Jetoar]

Wonderful sculpture and nice appilcation of colors  .

[Jetoar]

I am not sure who is my favorite  . Nice walk around  .

[Jetoar]

The decorated base is a good point for this little figures  .

[sbell]

Sweet little figure! Not sure if I've ever seen a photo of it.

It took a sur[risingly long time for me to track one down (and, of course, wound up with 2). Since then, several more have shown up on YAJ. Of course.

[sbell]

Great figure!  Once again they managed to make the seam (where the two parts join) very inconspicuous.

Whenever they use the operculum it works really well--it almost separates the head in real fish anyway! Only the Hucho has a weird mid-body seam that is impossible to conceal (without extra putty and work, which I won't do).

[sbell]

It's a pretty striking figure, I was glad to find it for a reasonable price (I've come across some of the other hybrid and special figures--suffice to say, I won't be paying those prices).