Koi Varieties

Thanks to the ingenuity and dedication of Japanese master koi breeders, the world is now blessed with a diverse collection of koi breeds and varieties. Present-day koi are so brilliantly colored that it's difficult to imagine all of them coming from the dull-colored fish grown for food in the mountains of Niigata, Japan centuries ago.

To novice koi hobbyists, the flurry of Japanese terms corresponding to these various breeds can be daunting. The advice commonly given is to get accustomed to the terms slowly and enjoy the learning process. The starting point of this learning process is more often than not with the three most established and most popular breeds of koi, namely, the 'Kohaku', the 'Sanke', and the 'Showa'. 'Gosanke' is the term used to refer to these three breeds taken together.

"Koi appreciation starts with the Kohaku and ends with the Kohaku."

Kohaku, which pertains to a white koi with red markings, is the first breed to be established by the Japanese. Its simplicity, beauty, and availability make it the most popular and logical choice for a person buying his or her first koi. Through the ensuing years this hobbyist may build up his collection by adding newer and more sophisticated varieties. After having tried them all, however, this hobbyist will most likely 'rediscover' the Kohaku, finally experiencing first-hand what the cliche above really means. But it doesn't end there, the cycle simply starts all over again.

Such is the hobby of koi keeping - a never-ending process of 'discovery' and 'rediscovery'. Thirty years from now, our hobbyist might still be watching some of his or her original koi swimming in the pond after having owned many other varieties of these 'living jewels'. If that will be the case, then he will have done things correctly, and can rightfully claim that he has, after all, achieved every koi keeper's dream.

General Description
'Kohaku' is the term applied to a koi that has a white body with red markings. Kohaku is the first koi breed to be established by the Japanese, with breed stability being achieved in the 1890's.

Appreciation Criteria


Color
The shiro (white) base color of the body must be unblemished, thick, snowy, and even milky. The shiro must not exhibit any yellowish tint.
The hi (red) markings on the white body must be solid, deep, and evenly-colored throughout the entire body. The edges of these markings (also known as the 'kiwa') must be very defined, or as they say, 'sharp as a razor.'
The hi color may vary from koi to koi, but it should be of uniform hue within an individual koi. Different koi exhibit different hues, from a deep persimmon orange to dark, purplish red. This entire range is acceptable, although judges invariably have their own preferences.
Pattern
The red markings on the body must be artistically balanced. This means that they must not be confined to one side or one end of the koi only. An equal distribution of shiro and hi is preferred, so in general a koi heavily marked with red or predominantly white in color is not desired. Red spots below the lateral line are not desired, and so are red marks that extend into the tail or the dorsal fin.
The pattern may be continuous or 'stepped', but the over-all effect of white and red balancing each other should be the ultimate consideration. Many people prefer stepped koi and understandably so, since this pattern ensures red and white alternating with each other. Nonetheless, there have been single-stepped (also known as 'ohmoyo') koi that have won championships for their 'total package' elegance.
A white area separating the tail and the red marking nearest the tail is known as a tail stop, and is considered desirable. A red mark on the lips of a koi (also known as 'kuchibeni') is a 'plus' if it enhances the over-all package of the koi.
A good kohaku has a pattern on the head. The head pattern must extend slightly beyond the eyes but should not reach the nose or lips, leaving a white area in the front end of the head. A fully red head (referred to as 'menkaburi') that makes the koi look 'hooded' is considered negative. Nonetheless, some koi look good despite having it, so don't let it prevent you from buying a koi that you like.
A round patch of red on the head is considered nice. If this red patch is the only marking on a white koi, then the koi is called a 'tancho kohaku', a highly-prized koi variety among the Japanese since it looks like their national bird. If there are other markings on the body of the koi, then the round head patch makes it a 'maruten'

SANKE

'Taisho Sanshoku', or 'sanke' is the term applied to a koi that has a white body with red and black markings. The black markings are in the form of spots that are generally confined to the body above the lateral line. Sanke as a koi breed was established around 1917.

Appreciation Criteria
The criteria for appreciating or judging a Sanke is the same as those of a Kohaku, with the addition of criteria for its black markings. In fact, it is said that a good Sanke is actually a good Kohaku that has been further enhanced by black spots that add elegance to the totality of the koi.
Color
The shiro (white) base color of the body must be unblemished, thick, snowy, and even milky. The shiro must not exhibit any yellowish tint.
The hi (red) markings on the white body must be solid, deep, and evenly-colored throughout the entire body. The edges of these markings (also known as the 'kiwa') must be very defined, or as they say, 'sharp as a razor.'
The hi color may vary from koi to koi, but it should be of uniform hue within an individual koi. Different koi exhibit different hues, from a deep persimmon orange to dark, purplish red. This entire range is acceptable, although judges invariably have their own preferences.
The sumi (black) markings of a Sanke must be deep, solid, and shiny lacquer-black. The shape of every sumi spot must be clearly defined, with its kiwa or edges as sharp as possible. Undeveloped sumi (also known as 'sashi') may appear mottled dark blue or gray instead of solid black. This is not bad for a young koi, since sumi actually develops as the koi grows older. In fact, spotting a potential champion at a young age involves good anticipation of how well the sumi will develop in the next few years.

SHOWA

'Showa Sanshoku', or 'showa' is the term applied to a koi that has a black body with red and white markings. This definition is confusing to beginners, since modern showa clearly shows that it also has a white body with red and black markings, just like a sanke. This definition came from the early history of showa. When this breed emerged and was established, it was predominantly black. At that time, most breeders keep this breed for its 'blackness.' Nowadays, hobbyists prefer a more balanced mix of red, white, and black.

The difference between a sanke and a showa is in the appearance of the sumi markings. Sanke sumi tend to be in the form of spots generally confined to the body above the lateral line, while showa sumi appear to be relatively larger streaks that 'wrap' around the body (going below the lateral line) as well as extend into the head.
Showa as a koi breed was established around 1920, during the Showa Emperor Era.

Appreciation Criteria
Color
The shiro (white) base color of the body must be unblemished, thick, snowy, and even milky. The shiro must not exhibit any yellowish tint.
The hi (red) markings on the white body must be solid, deep, and evenly-colored throughout the entire body. The edges of these markings (also known as the 'kiwa') must be very defined, or as they say, 'sharp as a razor.'
The hi color may vary from koi to koi, but it should be of uniform hue within an individual koi. Different koi exhibit different hues, from a deep persimmon orange to dark, purplish red. This entire range is acceptable, although judges invariably have their own preferences.
The sumi (black) markings of a Showa must be deep, solid, and shiny lacquer-black. The shape of every sumi marking must be clearly defined, with its kiwa or edges as sharp as possible. Undeveloped sumi may appear mottled dark blue or gray instead of solid black. This is not bad for a young koi, since sumi actually develops as the koi grows older. In fact, spotting a potential champion at a young age involves good anticipation of how well the sumi will develop in the next few years.

Pattern
The red and black markings on the white body must be artistically balanced. This means that a certain color must not be confined to one side or one end of the koi only. A good example of excellent showa pattern is if the black, red, and white colors are interspersed in a 'checkerboard' pattern.
The red-over-white pattern may be continuous or 'stepped', but the over-all effect of white and red balancing each other should be the ultimate consideration. Many people prefer stepped koi and understandably so, since this pattern ensures red and white alternating with each other. Showa with a large percentage of its body covered by 'hi' with very little shiro is known as 'hi showa'. Hi showa is less desired, since the predominantly red body makes it look heavy.
A white area separating the tail and the red marking nearest the tail is known as a tail stop, and is considered desirable. A red mark on the lips of a koi (also known as 'kuchibeni') is a 'plus' if it enhances the over-all package of the koi.
A good showa must have all three colors on its head. Lightning-shaped sumi that streaks across the head and divides it into two is desirable. This sumi head marking is known as a 'menware.' A V-shaped sumi pattern on the shoulder of a showa is also desired. It used to be that judges look for both a menware and this V-shaped shoulder sumi in a showa, but nowadays the presence of only one of these is acceptable.
If a round red patch on the head is the only red marking on the showa, then the koi is called a 'tancho showa', a highly-prized koi variety among the Japanese since it looks like their national bird. If there are other red markings on the body of the koi, then the round head patch makes it a 'maruten' showa.
The sumi of a showa must be distributed in the koi body such that they collectively add balance to the koi. Their presence should enhance the 'kohaku pattern' and not degrade it. Old-style showa koi are heavily endowed with sumi. Modern showa (also known as 'kindai showa') exhibit a sparser distribution of sumi, but these should be clearly defined and solid black nonetheless.
The base of the pectoral fins of a showa must be black. This black base area of pectoral fins is known as 'motoguro.' The more defined and confined to the base it is, the better.

BEKKO

'Bekko' is the term applied to a koi that has a single base color of white (shiro bekko), or red (aka bekko), or yellow (ki bekko). Over this base color are black markings in the form of spots generally confined to the body above the lateral line.
Bekko is to sanke as utsuri is to showa. Thus, all criteria that apply to sanke sumi quality and pattern are applicable to bekko sumi.

Appreciation Criteria

Color
The base color (whether shiro, aka, or ki) of the body must be unblemished, thick, rich, and of uniform hue and quality. The base color must not exhibit any sign of tint of a different color.
The sumi (black) markings of a bekko must be deep, solid, and shiny lacquer-black. The shape of every sumi spot must be clearly defined, with its kiwa or edges as sharp as possible. Undeveloped sumi (also known as 'sashi') may appear mottled dark blue or gray instead of solid black. This is not bad for a young koi, since sumi actually develops as the koi grows older.