There are more than 80 varieties, but at Koi shows in South Africa, all varieties are being categorized into 17 categories being: (SAKKS classes)
- Kohaku - white and red
- Sanke - white red and black
- Showa - black, white and red
- Utsurimono - black and white
- Bekko - white and black
- Asagi & Shusui
- Koromo (Goromo)
- Goshiki - five colours
- Kawarimono - non metallic Koi that does not fall into any of the other categories.
- Hikari Muji - Mono - Ogon - single colour
- Hikari Moyo - Mono - metallic Koi that does not fall into one of the above categories.
- Hikari Utsuri - Mono
- Tancho - red rising sun on the head (Include Kinginrin varieties)
- Kinginrin A - sparkling reflective scalation on Kohaku, Sanke, Showa and Shiro Utsuri
- Kinginrin B - sparkling reflective scalation on the other varieties
- Doitsu A - Gosanke
- Doitsu B - Other varieties
Different sizes: Size 1 = under 20 cm; Size 2 = 20-30 cm; Size 3 = 30-37cm; Size 4 = 37-45 cm; Size 5 = 45-52 cm; Size 6 = 52-60 cm; Size 7 = 60-67 cm; Size 8 = over 66 cmcm
The following are the most common varieties:
Kohaku - a white Koi with red markings and one of the most common Koi. They say Koi begins and ends with Kohaku.
Kohaku can be categorized further depending on the red markings as follows:
Inazuma Kohaku
has a continuous red marking from the head to the tail
Nidan (two) Kohaku has two red markings
Sandan (three) Kohaku has three red markings
Yondan (four) Kohaku has four red markings
Taisho Sanke - a white Koi with red and black patterns.
Yamatonishiki (Yamato Nishiki) - Metallic version of the Sanke
Heisei Nishiki - Leather German-scaled Metallic Sanke or a doitsu version of the Yamotonishiki.
Showa - a black Koi with red and white pattern.The dominant color is black and if there is any black on the head, it is a Showa as apposed to a Sanke.
Hi Showa is
a predominantly red showa and a Kindai Showa has a
predominantly white pattern. The one on the photo above
is not a good quality will be a Hi Showa beacuse of the amount of red.
The first three varieties being Kohaku, Sanke and Showa are also known as "GoSanke"
Bekko - same as Utsuri but with black on a white background.
Aka bekko is a red koi with black markings, a Shiro bekko is a white koi with black markings and a Ki bekko is a yellow koi with black markings.
Asagi - the Asagi are characterized by scales which have a net-like appearance. An intense red normally covers the belly, the extended pectoral fins and the sides of the face. The Asagi is basically the scaled version of the Shusui and one of the oldest Koi varieties.
Ogon - they have one solid colour and they have a distinct metallic shine to their scales. The usual colors are yellow, platinum/white or gold.
Golden Ogon
(Butterfly version)
(Normal version of the yellow Ogon, also known as a Yamabuki)
Platinum Ogon
Also referred to as a "Purachina"
Shusui - cross between a Doitsugoi and an Asagi. They have a bold line of navy scale on the back with a bright orange or red belly like the Asagi. Shusui that have red color up to the dorsal line ( Hi Shusui )
Shiro Utsuri - a black Koi with white pattern.
Hi Utsuri - a black Koi with red pattern
Ki Utsuri - a black Koi with yellow pattern
Tancho - red rising sun like the Japanese flag against a white background on the head. Any variety of Koi can have a red Tancho mark on its head.
Kujaku - "Kujaku" is the Japanese word for peacock. It has a shining luster to its skin, and a color pattern that appears as orange and white with matsuba scalation.
Goshiki - The name "goshiki" translates as five colors being black, white,
red, blue, and
metallic grey.
Midorigoi - A green Koi with almost shusui scalation. This is a cross between a shusui and a Yamabuki Ogon.
Ochiba Shigure - grey with brown markings that looks like fallen leaves in autumn drifting on the water.
Doitsu Ochiba
Kumonryu - Black and white and often looks like a killer whale. Also known as the the dragon fish and chameleon of koi because it's pattern and colour changes all the time, especially with temperature changes.
Chagoi
Matsuba
(pine cone net effect)
Aka Matsuba
is a red koi with black centres to its scales, creating a pine cone effect.
Ki Matsuba as above but yellow.
Kin matsuba is a metallic gold or orange koi whose
scales have black centres.
Gin matsuba is a metallic silver koi whose scales
have black centres.
Hariwaki - Metallic white (platinum) with yellow or orange markings. They can be scaled or scaleless.
The following are pearl gold reflective and therefore Kin Kikokuryu's
Other:
Koromo (Goromo) - literally means 'robed'. This describes the hi pattern, outlined in a darker colour, which varies with the variety. The white background is not robed and should be pure white.
Aigoromo - a white Koi with red pattern and the edge of each red scale is black (Three colour cross between Asagi and Kohaku.)
Sumigoromo - a white Koi with a blackish pattern with red on the edge of the scale.
Budogoromo - a white Koi with Sumigoromo appearance. (sumi overlaying the hi giving a maroon colour)
Kikusui - Kikisui is metallic doitsu with a white background and with a hi pattern that is lateral. It is almost like a doitsu metallic Kohaku but in the case of a Kohaku, the hi pattern is dorsal.
Ginrin - pearl silver reflective scales and metallic, or diamond, scales. Almost all varieties have a ginrin version.
Example of a Ginrin Chagoi
Kinrin - pearl gold reflective scales.
Kin Ginrin - a group of variety with diamond reflective scales.
Doitsu - also known as a leather Koi, no scales and they normally have a line of large scales along their lateral and/or dorsal lines. There is a Doitsu version of almost every variety.
Kawarimono - collective name for non-metallic Koi, which do not fall into any of the other specific varieties.
The following koi will fall under Kawarimono:
Karasugoi is a black koi with white or orange belly.
Hajiro is a black koi with white tips to its tail and pectoral fins.
Hageshiro is a black koi with white tips to its fins and white head and nose.
Kumonryu is a doitsu koi which is black with white markings.
Matsukawabake is the Wagoi(scaled) version of the Kumonryu.
Shiro Matsuba as above but white.
Goshiki - This means five colours and is composed of black, white, red, blue, and metallic gray/blue.
Kigoi is a yellow koi.
Chagoi is a light brown/olive koi.
Soragoi is a blue-grey koi.
Midorigoi is a green koi.
Benigoi is a deep red koi.
Shiro Muji is a white koi, aka muji is a red koi.
Ochiba Shigure is blue-grey with a brown pattern.
Hikari Utsuri - all metallic Showa varieties. The following will fall under this category:
Kin showa, Gin shiro utsuri, Kin ki utsuri being a metallic yellow utsuri and a Kin hi utsuri which is a metallic red utsuri.
Hikarimoyo - all other metallic varieties of more than one color other than Hikari Utsuri.
Yamato-nishiki
(metallic sanke)
Kujaku
Platinum kohaku (Netallic)
Kikisui is a doitsu platinum kohaku.
Gin bekko (metallic shiro bekko)
Kinsui and ginsui (metallic varieties of shusui)
Hariwake - platinum with orange or yellow
markings.
Butterfly Fin Koi- beautiful pectoral, ventral, dorsal, and caudal fins that are longer than other Koi.
Knowledge of a bit of Japanese will help you to get along much better and herewith, a few basic words commonly used.
Ai - blue
Aka - red pattern almost covering the full length of the koi
Beni - red
Bu - size classification
Budo - purple
Cha - brown
Doitsu - scaleless
Gosanke - Kohaku, Sanke and Showa
Gin - silver (pronounced like "give" and not "Gin & Tonic")
Hi - red (markings)
Kana - male koi
Ki - yellow
Kin - gold
Kindai - balanced amount of black red and white on a showa
Kiwa - rear edge of each coloured spot
Kuchibeni - the red lip on a koi
Kutsubera - Shoehorn (round area of Hi on the forehead)
Mena - female koi
Midori - green
Motoguru - black in the pectoral fins
Nezu - gray
Odome - tail stopper (white between the tail and the last pattern)
Orenji - orange
Rin - scale
Sashi - front edge of the pattern
Shimis - black specks on the body
Shiro - white
Sumi - black
Tategoi - small koi with future potential
Teaka - Pectoral fins with Hi
For more information on varieties, please view our Forum page for discussions on varieties at For more information, please view our Forum at: http://koionline.forumotion.com/
