breeding?

Question
We started our pond with 2 koi and 2 comets and all were about 2-3 inches when we bought them in May 07.  A friend gave us some anachris and water lillies to add to our pond that we took from hers.  In july we noticed we had 8 baby fish.  Now a month later they vary in size but are about 1".  The question is 3 of them have color.  They are orange and one has a white stripe around it.  The other 5 have no color (brown/black in appearance)  How do we know what kind of fish these are?  Could they be from eggs that were on the plants we put in our pond from our friend or are they interbred with koi and comet in which case I heard they will not get color and be sterile?  Will I see a change in color in the other 5 fish?

Answer
Hello Phil.

The baby fish are probably from eggs that came in with your donated plants. They are probably goldfish. Goldfish are all born grey/brown in color. This is mother nature's way of giving the little guys a fighting chance because they blend in to surrounding areas. If they are any other color than the grey/brown, orange, or white, they could be koi or a hybrid koi. If they are hybrid fish, you are correct in that the fry will be sterile. If the fish do not have color by the time they are a few inches in legnth they will not get color. Not all goldfish turn gold.

Hope this helps Phil!
Brigitte
www.pondmarket.com