Classification of Koi Varieties and Detailed Explanation of Their Main Characteristics

Through continuous crossbreeding, improvement and selective breeding, koi have now been developed into more than one hundred varieties. Japanese koi are mainly divided into 13 categories according to their colors, markings and scale distribution.

1. Kohaku koi: the base color of the body surface is silvery white, inlaid with changing red markings.

2. Taisho Sanke koi: the base color of the fish body is snow white, with crimson and jet-black markings emerging.

3. Utsuri koi: the fish body has black as its base color, with triangular markings that are either white, red or yellow.

4. Showa Sanke koi: the fish body has black as its base color, with red and white patterns.

5. Bekko koi: black markings appear on different base colors of white, red and yellow.

6. Asagi koi: the back is deep blue or light blue, while the outer edges of the scales are white, and the left side or cheeks and jaws, belly and bases of the fins are red.

7. Koromo koi: the offspring of crosses between Asagi koi and Kohaku koi or Sanke koi.

8. Ogon koi: the entire body of the fish is golden yellow.

9. Hikari Utsuri koi: the offspring produced by crossing Utsuri koi with Ogon koi.

10. Hikari Moyomono koi: scaleless koi that develop patterns of two or more colors.

11. Kin Gin Rin koi: through continuous crossbreeding, the entire body of the fish has golden or silvery scales that glitter and shine.

12. Tancho koi: the head has a bright round red patch, closely resembling the red crown on the head of a red-crowned crane.

13. Kawarimono koi: apart from the above 12 types, other varieties belong to this category.