Quick Answer Shusui is the scaleless (Doitsu) counterpart to Asagi — a blue-grey koi with a single row of large mirror scales along its back instead of full scaling, with red (hi) or yellow (ki) markings along its sides. It was the first Doitsu koi variety ever bred, created in the early 1900s by crossing
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Quick Answer Asagi is one of the oldest koi varieties, with a net-like pattern of pale-edged blue scales across its back and red (motoaka) at the fins, cheeks, and belly. It’s considered a direct descendant of the Asagi Magoi — the wild black carp regarded as the ancestor of all modern ornamental koi — with
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Quick Answer Ki Utsuri is the oldest and rarest of the three Utsurimono koi varieties, pairing a deep black (sumi) base with bright yellow (ki) markings. It was the first Utsuri type developed, but its yellow pigment is notoriously hard to breed consistently — which is why it’s rarer today than the later Hi Utsuri
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Quick Answer Hi Utsuri is a Japanese koi variety with a jet-black (sumi) base overlaid with bold red (hi) markings. It’s part of the Utsurimono family alongside Shiro Utsuri (white) and Ki Utsuri (yellow), and is prized for sharp kiwa (the edge where red meets black) and clean, unbroken sumi that wraps the body rather
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Introduction Quick answer: A Shiro Utsuri is a black-bodied koi overlaid with bold white markings (shiroji), part of the Utsurimono group alongside Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri. It’s most often confused with the Shiro Bekko, a different fish worth checking for before you buy — the difference comes down to whether the black reaches the
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Quick Answer Kohaku is a koi variety with a white body (Shiroji) and red markings (Hi), and it’s the founding member of the “Gosanke” — the three most prized koi varieties alongside Sanke and Showa. Quality is judged on the whiteness of the skin, the depth and evenness of the red, sharp clean edges between
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Quick Answer Sanke koi (also called Taisho Sanshoku) are a tri-colored koi variety with a white base overlaid by red (hi) and black (sumi) markings, developed in Japan’s Taisho era from selective breeding of Kohaku koi. Along with Kohaku and Showa, Sanke forms one of the three “Gosanke” varieties considered the foundation of koi keeping.
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Home › Koi Fish Varieties › Showa Koi By Giovanni Carlo Bagayas | Updated: June 2026 | 14 min read Showa koi — defined by a black (Sumi) base with red and white markings on top. The black on the head is the single most important identifying feature that separates Showa from Sanke. Quick Answer
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Home › Koi Fish Varieties › Chagoi Koi Chagoi Koi: Complete Guide to the Friendliest Koi Fish (Care, Colors & Size) By Giovanni Carlo Bagayas | Updated: June 2026 | 12 min read Chagoi koi — the friendliest variety in the pond. Named after the Japanese word for tea, their earthy brown coloration and bold,
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Home › Koi Fish Varieties › 30 Koi Fish Varieties Koi Fish Varieties: 30 Types Identified With Pictures — Complete Guide By Giovanni Carlo · Koi keeper & founder, Giobel Koi Center · Updated June 8, 2026 Quick Answer There are over 100 recognized koi varieties, organized into 13 official Japanese classification groups. The most
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