Types Of Koi Fish

Types Of Koi Fish

Pure bred Koi are expensive but those which are not of the original ancestral lineage are as colorful as the pure bred ones. There are various types of Koi all scientifically named as Cyprinus carpio. The word Koi stands alone, it incorporates the word carp so, "Koi carp" is a redundancy. Original Koi had 3 colors, red, white and yellow. All other Koi came from breeding these original Koi.

Koi are nature's wonders and provide one a colorful garden fish pond. Koi beginnings can be traced to the Nigata region of Japan back in the 19th century. Selectively bred, Koi increased into various types of the colored fish which are those seen today. Early types were also bred by rice farmers where colored mutations appeared among these carp. Some were raised as pets.



The following are types of Koi:

1. Kohaku Red
Is one of the most common varieties. They are deep red with well defined edges; the white is pure and bright.
a. Tancho Kohaku - white with a red spot on the head
b. Inazuma Kohaku - continuous red marking from head to tail, with variation
c. Nidan Kohaku - two red markings
d. Sandan Kohaku - three red markings
e. Yondan Kohaku - four red markings

2. Taisho Sanke
Red and black on white background
a. Maruten Sanke - separated red spot on the head and normal markings on body
b. Tancho Sanke - with red spot on head with white body with black markings

3. Showa Red
White markings on a black background
a. Hi Showa - mostly red
b. Kindai Showa - mostly white pattern
c. Tancho Showa - red spot on the head and a black body with white markings

4. Bekko White
Red or yellow Koi with black markings
a. Aka Bekko - red Koi with black markings
b. Shiro Bekko - white Koi with black markings
c. Ki Bekko - yellow Koi with black markings

5. Utsurimono
Mostly black with red, white or yellow markings
a. Shiro utsuri - black with white markings
b. Hi utsuri - black with red markings
c. Ki utsuri - black with yellow markings

6. Asagi
Blue-gray Koi with red alkong at the sides, in the belly and in the fins

7. Shusui
These are doitsu Koi. They are colored blue-gray with dark blue scales along dorsal and lateral lines. It is red on the sides of the fins.

8. Koromo
Has a red pattern outlined in a darker color which varies with the variety. Koromo means robed in English.
a. Ai goromo - a kohaku whose scales have blue borders
b. Sumi goromo - solid black on the red markings
c. Budo goromo - black with red giving it a purple/maroon color

9. Kawarimono
Includes all non-metallic Koi not falling under the above groups
a. Hajiro - black Koi with white or orange belly
b. Hageshiro - black with white tips to fins, white head and nose
c. Kumonryu - Doitsu Koi which is black with white markings on its head, fins and body
d. Shiro Matsuba - similar to the above, but is white
e. Kigoi - yellow Koi
f. Chagoi - light brown/olive Koi
g. Soragoi - blue gray Koi
h. Midorigoi - green Koi
i. Benigoi - deep red Koi
j. Shiro Muji - white Koi
k. Aka Muji - red Koi
l. Ochiba Shigure - blue gray with brown pattern

10. Hikarimono
Single colored metallic Koi
a. Platinum ogon - metallic white
b. Nezu ogon - metallic silver gray
c. Yamabuki ogon - yellow gold metallic
d. Orenji ogon - deep metallic orange Koi
e. Aka Matsuba - red Koi with black centers to its scales resulting to a pine cone effect
f. Ki Matsuba - similar to the above but yellow
g. Kin Matsubsa - metallic gold or orange Koi whose scales have black centers
h. Gin Matsuba - silver version of the Kin Matsuba

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