By Donna M. Recktenwalt
What does a judge look for in a killifish? I know that I have asked that question more than once, when confronted by the overwhelming numbers of fish and species in a showroom. How do judges determine which fish are winners and which are not?
As anyone who has bred or shown animals knows, there are a few basic guidelines that apply to all species. The animal must be in good health and good condition; must be alert and active appropriate to its species; and it must have no obvious flaws, such as off color, damage, or deformity. The really good ones, the ones that show well, often have an undefinable “flair,” a “show-off, look-at-me” quality that makes them stand out above their fellows. But that still leaves a great deal to the discretion of the judge. Or does it?
Dave Price, an AKA accredited judge, recently pre- sented a program on killifish judging at a meeting of the GCKA. Using the standard AKA developed judging sheets, he led club members through the evaluation of several different pair of killifish, covering the major points reviewed when judging show entries. These individual items include fins, deportment, body shape and color, breeding potential, and size of both the male and the female fish.
The AKA’s judging program is designed to eliminate subjective evaluation and to enhance objectivity, by using a point system checklist, and by training and certifying those who judge.
The judging system is based on the comparison of each entry to the characteristics expected of its species, the “ideal representative” of its kind, with a point value assigned to each category. If a judge’s knowledge of a particular species is fragmentary or nonexistent, he or she must make a best estimate.
Two judges evaluate each entry. The judging sheets are later tallied by others and the scores averaged with the results from the other judge(s). The entries are then ranked according to total points earned. No jury judging occurs, except for the selection of Best in Show.
In general, the best chances of winning under this point system are held not by older, bigger pairs, but by younger to mature breeding pairs. Thus the system may not be perfect- it admittedly hampers very young pairs from scoring high- but it does offer each entry equal opportunity for fair evaluation.
This is not the only way to judge killifish, however. In Europe size is not taken in consideration, thus a well-formed young pair may win over a larger pair that may not be quite as good. If two pair are equal in all but size, the larger pair will usually win. The BKA uses a point system, but not the same one as the AKA. The DKG uses no point system at all- a group of senior judges select what they feel are the best fish.
– G.C.K.A. Newsletter, April 1999