Koi Types

THE Directory of Koi Classification

Koi are a big part of Asian culture, but in the last few decades, the hobby of Koi keeping has spread across the world.  Listed below are every original kind of Koi.  Each variety usually has a Doitsu (scaless) version and a Gin Rin (sparkly) scaled version.  These variations will be added as soon as we get a good photo.  Click on each photo for a description of each variety.

Gosanke

These three are the most popular in Japan, the Kohaku, the Showa, and the Sanke.

Kohaku Koi        Sanke Koi        Showa Koi
Kohaku                        Sanke                        Showa

Bekko

The colored Koi with a black pattern.

Shiro Bekko Koi        Ki Bekko Koi        Aka Bekko Koi
Shiro Bekko                Ki Bekko                Aka Bekko

Utsurimono

The black Koi with a colored pattern.

Shiro Utsuri Koi        Hi Utsuri Koi        Ki Utsuri Koi
Shiro Utsuri                    Hi Utsuri                    Ki Utsuri

Asagi

The blue/grey Koi with a red pattern.

Asagi Koi        Shusui Koi
Asagi                        Shusui

Tancho

The Koi with a pattern only on their Maruten spots.

Tancho Goromo Koi        Tancho Goshiki Koi        Tancho Kohaku Koi
Tancho Goromo        Tancho Goshiki        Tancho Kohaku

Tancho Kujaku Koi        Tancho Sanke Koi
Tancho Kujaku        Tancho Sanke

Hikarimono

The metallic Koi with only one color for a pattern.

Nezu Ogon Koi        Orenji Ogon Koi        Platinum Ogon Koi
Nezu Ogon                   Orenji Ogon             Platinum Ogon

Yamabuki Ogon Koi
Yamabuki Ogon

Goromo

The Koi that have black shading over their patterns.

Ai Goromo Koi        Budo Goromo Koi        Sumi Goromo Koi
Ai goromo                 Budo Goromo            Sumi Goromo

Hikarimoyo

Koi that have metallic patterns.

Kin Showa Koi        Kujaku Koi
Kin Showa                    Kujaku

Yamato Nishiki Koi
Yamato Nishiki

Doitsu Hariwake Koi        Kikusui Koi
Doitsu Hariwake               Kikusui        

Matsuba

These Koi have a grey shading pattern on their scales.

Shiro Matsuba Koi        Aka Matsuba Koi
Shiro Matsuba            Aka Matsuba

Kawarimono

These Koi don't fit into any other classification.

Ochiba Shiguri Koi        Kumonyru Koi        Beni Kumonryu Koi
Ochiba Shigure                Kumonryu                Beni Kumonryu

Benigoi Koi        Karasugoi Koi
Benigoi                    Karasugoi

Haijiro Koi        Aka Haijiro Koi
Haijiro                    Aka Haijiro

Chagoi Koi        Kigoi Koi        Midorigoi Koi
Chagoi                        Kigoi                    Midorigoi

Soragoi Koi
Soragoi

Where did all the Koi on this page come from?

Believe it or not, Koi are actually color-mutated food carp!  Many years ago, the rice farmers needed
a source of protein during the long and harsh winters in Niigata.  They would keep the carp in ponds
and grow them until they reached about 6 inches in size.  Then the rice farmers would catch the food
carp and would salt them so they would go bad during the cold winter months.  The farmers noticed
that some of the carp had different colors, so they kept these out and bred them together.  Fast forward
a couple hundred years and now there is a vast array of colors!  (Please Note:  A common misconception
is that the rice farmers would put the carp in their rice paddies.  This is untrue, for the carp would
have destroyed their crops!  Consider the way Koi like to tear apart potted water gardening plants!)