koi in pond
  • Shōwa Sanshoku (or Showa Sanke) A black koi with red (hi 赤) and white (shiroji 白地) markings. The first Showa Sanke was exhibited in 1927, during the reign of the Showa Emperor. In America, the name is often abbreviated to just Showa. The amount of shiroji on Showa Sanke has increased in modern times (Kindai Showa 近代昭和), to the point that it can be difficult to distinguish from Taisho Sanke. The kanji, 三色, may be read as either sanshoku or as sanke.

  • Tanchō (丹頂?) Any koi with a solitary red patch on its head. The fish may be a Tancho Showa, Tancho Sanke, or even Tancho Goshiki. Named for the Japanese crane (Grus japonensis) which also has a red spot on its head.

  • Chagoi (茶鯉?) lit. 'Tea-colored' koi ranging in color from pale olive-drab green or brown to copper or bronze and more recently darker, subdued orange shades. Famous for its docile, friendly personality and large size, it is considered a sign of good luck among koi keepers.

  • Asagi (浅黄?) A koi that is light blue above and usually red, but also occasionally pale yellow or cream, generally below the lateral line and on the cheeks. The Japanese name means pale greenish-blue, spring onion colour, or indigo. Sometime incorrectly written as 浅黄 (light yellow).

  • Utsurimono (写り者?) A black koi with a white, red, or yellow markings. Zebra colour. The oldest attested form is the yellow form, called "Black and white markings" (黒黄斑 Kuro Ki Han?) in the 19th century, but renamed Ki Utsuri (黄写り?) by Elizaburo Hoshino, an early 20th century koi breeder. The red and white versions are called Hi Utsuri (赤写り?) and Shiro Utsuri (白写り?) respectively.

koi chart

The common carp was aquacultured as a food fish as at least as far back as the 5th century in China.[5] The common carp was also known to have been aquacultured in Europe by the Roman Empire, which could have spanned a time period of 27 BC to 400 AD.[6] Common carp were first bred for color in Japan in the 1820s, initially in the town of Ojiya in the Niigata prefecture on the north eastern coast of Honshu island. By the 20th century, a number of color patterns had been established, most notably the red-and-white Kohaku. The outside world was not aware of the development of color variations in koi until 1914, when the Niigata koi were exhibited in the annual exposition in Tokyo. At that point, interest in koi exploded throughout Japan. The hobby of keeping koi eventually spread worldwide. Koi are now commonly sold in most pet stores, with higher-quality fish available from specialist dealers.

In Japanese, "koi" is a homophone for another word that means "affection" or "love"; koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan.

  • Kōhaku (紅白?) A white-skinned koi, with large red markings on the top. The name means "red and white;" kohaku was the first ornamental variety to be established in Japan (late 19th century).[11]

  • Taishō Sanshoku (or Taisho Sanke) Very similar to the Kohaku, except for the addition of small black markings called sumi (墨?). This variety was first exhibited in 1914 by the koi breeder, Gonzo Hiroi, during the reign of the Taisho Emperor.[citation needed] In America, the name is often abbreviated to just "Sanke". The kanji, 三色, may be read as either sanshoku or as sanke.

  • Bekko (鼈甲?) A white-, red-, or yellow-skinned koi with black markings sumi (墨?). The Japanese name means "tortoise shell”.

  • Goshiki (五色?) A dark koi with red (Kohaku style) hi pattern. The Japanese name means "Five Colours". Appears similar to an Asagi with little or no Hi below the lateral line and a Kohaku Hi pattern over reticulated (fishnet pattern) scales. The base color can range from nearly black to very pale sky blue.

  • Shūsui (秋翠?) The Japanese name means "Autumn green." The Shusui was created in 1910 by Yoshigoro Akiyama, by crossing Japanese Asagi with German mirror carp.[citation needed] The fish has no scales, except for a single line of large mirror scales dorsally, extending from head to tail.

  • Kinginrin (金銀鱗?) A koi with metallic (glittering metal-flake appearing) scales. The name translates into English as "gold and silver scales." Often abbreviated to Ginrin. There are Ginrin versions of almost all other varieties of koi, and they are fashionable. Gin-rin refers to sparlking, glittering scales as opposed to the smooth, even metallic skin and scales seen in the Ogon varieties. Recently these characteristics have been combined to create the new "ginrin Ogon" varieties.

  • Kawarimono (変わり者?) A "catch-all" term for koi that cannot be put into one of the other categories. This is a competition category and many new varieties of koi compete against each other within this one category. Also known as kawarigoi (変わり鯉?)

  • Ōgon (黄金?) A metallic koi of one color only. (hikarimono 光者). The most commonly encountered colors are gold, platinum, and orange. Cream specimens exist but are very rare. Ogon compete in the Kawarimono category and the Japanese name means "Gold”.

  • Recently the metallic skinned Ogon is being crossed with ginrin scaled fish to create the ginrin Ogon with metallic skin and sparkling (metal flake) scales.

  • Kumonryū (九紋竜?) （literally "Nine Tattooed Dragons"） Kumonryu is a black doitsu scaled fish with curling white markings. The patterns are thought to be reminiscent of Japanese ink paintings of dragons. They famously change colour with the seasons.[citation needed] Kumonryu compete in the Kawarimono category.

  • Ochiba (落葉?) A light blue/gray koi with copper, bronze, or yellow (Kohaku style) pattern, reminiscent of autumn leaves on water. The Japanese name means "fallen leaves."

  • Koromo (衣?) A white fish with Kohaku style pattern with blue or black edged scales only over the hi pattern. This variety first arose in the 1950s as a cross between a Kohaku and an Asagi. The most commonly encountered Koromo is an Ai Goromo, which is coloured like a Kohaku, except that each of the scales within the red patches has a blue- or black-edge to it.

  • Hikari-moyomono (光模樣者?) A koi with coloured markings over a metallic base, or koi in two metallic colours.

  • Kikokuryū（輝黒竜, literally "Sparkle Black Dragon" or "Glitter Black Dragon"） A metallic skinned version of the Kumonryu.

  • Kin-Kikokuryū （金輝黒竜, literally "Gold Sparkle Black Dragon" or "Gold Glitter Black Dragon"）A metallic skinned version of the Kumonryu with a Kohaku-style hi pattern developed by Mr. Seiki Igarashi of Ojiya City. There are (at least) six different genetic sub-varieties of this general variety.

  • Ghost koi A hybrid of Ogon and wild carp with metallic scales. Considered by some to be not Nishikigoi.

  • Butterfly koi A hybrid of koi and Asian carp with long flowing fins. Various coloration depending on the koi stock used to hybrid. Considered by some to not be Nishikigoi.

  • Doitsu-goi Originated by cross breeding numerous different established varieties with "scale-less" German carp (generally, fish with only a single line of scales along each side of the dorsal fin). There are four main types of "Doitsu" scale patterns. The most common type (referred to above) have a row of scales beginning at the front of the dorsal fin and ending at the end of the dorsal fin (along both sides of the fin). The second type has a row of scales beginning where the head meets the shoulder and running the entire length of the fish (along both sides). The third type is the same as the second, with the addition of a line of (often quite large) scales running along the lateral line (along the side) of the fish, also referred to as "Mirror koi". The fourth (and rarest) type are referred to as "Armor koi" and are completely (or nearly) covered with very large scales that resemble plates of armor.

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