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Koi Identification
Home Page Japanese terms relating to Koi
Articles ai Indigo hi Red spot(s) muji One color
Calculators aka Red over entire Koi hikari Shiny moyo Type of pattern
bekko Black & White inazuma Lightning nezu Grey
Contact Us beni Dark Red karasu Black over entire Koi orenji Orange
Meetings budo Grape ki yellow rin Scale
cha Brown kin Metallic Gold shiro White
Health doitsu Scale-less or mirror kuchibeni Lipstick shoku Color
Koi History gin Metallic Silver matsuba Pine cone pattern sumi Black spot(s)
ginrin Silver/Reflective midori green utsuri Reflective
Koi Types
Links Koi Classifications
Membership It is generally considered that there are thriteen classification of Koi, each having one or more
types.
Members Area
Here are the classifications and some of their types. This is by no means a complete list.
Photos
Sponsors (1) Kohaku
Web Stats White koi with red (hi, pronounced 'he' ) markings. Probably the most common variety. The hi
should be deep red with well defined edges (kiwa) where it meets the white which should be
pure and bright.
Tancho Kohaku is a white koi with a red spot on its head.
Inazuma Kohaku has a continuous red marking from the head to the tail,
but with variation (inazuma means 'lightning strike').
Nidan (two) Kohaku has two red markings
Sandan (three) Kohaku has three red markings
Yondan (four) Kohaku has four red markings.

Tancho Inazuma Maruten Menkaburi

Kuchibeni Straight Hi Nidan Sandan

Yondan

(2) Taisho Sanke (known as Sanke)

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Hi (red) and sumi (black) on a white background.

Maruten Sanke has a separate red spot on the head with normal markings on the body.
Tancho Sanke has a red spot on the head and a white body with black markings.

Maruten Nidan Aka Menkaburi

Subo Sumi Kuchibeni Tancho

(3) Showa
Red and white markings on a black background.
Hi Showa is a predominantly red showa.
Kindai Showa has a predominantly white pattern.
Tancho Showa has a red spot on the head and a black body with white markings.

Maruten Hi Kindai Tancho

(4) Bekko
White, red or yellow koi with black (sumi) markings.
Aka bekko is a red koi with black markings (aka is another word for red).
Shiro bekko is a white koi with black markings.
Ki bekko is a yellow koi with black markings (rare variety).

Aka Ki Shiro

(5) Utsurimono
Often confused with bekko but are mostly black with white, red or yellow markings.

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Shiro utsuri is a black koi with white markings.

Hi utsuri is black with red markings.
Ki utsuri is black with yellow markings (rare variety).

Hi Ki Shiro

(6) Asagi
Blue-grey koi with red along the sides and belly and in the fins.

Asagi

(7) Shusui
Shusui are doitsu koi (koi with scales along dorsal and lateral lines only). They are blue-grey
with dark blue scales along the dorsal and lateral lines and red on the sides and fins.

Shusui

(8) Koromo
Koromo literally means 'robed'. This describes the hi pattern, outlined in a darker colour, which
varies with the variety.
Ai goromo is a kohaku whose scales have blue borders.
Sumi goromo have solid black on the hi markings.
Budo goromo have sumi overlaying the hi giving a purple/maroon colour.

Ai Goromo Sumi Goromo Budo Goromo

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(9) Kawarimono
Kawarimono accomodates all non-metallic koi that do not fall into the above groups :
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 on its head,fins and body.
Shiro Matsuba as above but white.
Goshiki are white, red, black, blue and dark blue, giving a purplish appearance.
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.

Hajiro Karasugol Magoi Hageshiro

Kumonryu Shiro Muji Soragoi Midorigoi

Kigoi Ochibashigure Benigoi

(10) Hikarimono
Hikarimono is a group of single coloured metallic koi :
Platinum ogon is a metallic white koi.
Nezu ogon is a metallic silver grey koi.
Yamabuki ogon is a yellow-gold metallic koi.
Orenji ogon is a deep metallic orange koi.
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,
causing a pine cone effect.
Gin matsuba is the silver version.

Orenji Ogon Orenji Matsuba Aka Matsuba Yamabuki ogon

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Kin Matsuba Gin Matsuba Purachina Ogon

(11) Hikari - Utsurimono

These are basically metallic showa and utsuri.
Kin showa have a golden lustre while gin showa have a silver lustre.
Gin shiro is a metallic shiro utsuri.
Kin ki utsuri is a metallic yellow utsuri.
Kin hi utsuri is a metallic red utsuri.

Kin Showa Kin Hi Utsuri Kin Ki Utsuri Gin Shiro

(12) Hikarimoyo - Mono

Metallic koi that have more than one colour but aren't showa or utsuri.
Yamato-nishiki is basically a metallic sanke.
Kujaku are platinum koi with hi markings. The scales are overlaid with
a matsuba pattern.
Platinum kohaku is a metallic kohaku.
Kikisui is a doitsu platinum kohaku.
Gin bekko is a metallic shiro bekko.
Kinsui and ginsui are the metallic varieties of shusui.
Hariwake are platinum with orange (orenji hariwake) or yellow (yamabuki hariwake)
markings. They can be normally scaled, doitsu, (pine cone effect) or doitsu matsuba.

Yamatonishiki Hariwake Sakura Ogon Kujaku

(13) Tancho

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Named after the national bird of Japan, the tancho crane, which has
a red spot on the head. There are tancho kohaku, tancho sanke and tancho showa
(see kohaku, sanke and showa descriptions).

Kohaku Sanke Showa

(14) Kinginrin
Literally means 'golden silvery scales' and describes the sparkling scales of
kinginrin koi. Koi of all varieties can have kinginrin scales, they must have more
than about 20 to be classed as kinginrin.
Koi with silver sparkling scales are ginrin.
Koi with golden sparkling scales are kinrin.
Koi with both are kinginrin.

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