Koi Varieties

There are many different kinds of Koi fish to choose from, here is a listing of them:

The Koh Haku Variety
Any serious Koi collection will include some of the koh haku Koi. With their red markings on a white body, they are fairly simple to identify. Simplicity aside, however, they are the most important and fundamental variety of Koi. Koh haku from the root breeding stock of many other varieties of Koi. This breed generally wins the grand champion award at the most prestigious Koi shows.

Showa Koi
Typically identified as “the black fish with red and white markings,” the Showa Koi are generally described as powerful, heavy and magnificent. The Showa koi’s base color, that being the color of the belly, the mouth and the base of the pectoral fins, is black.

Taisho Sanshoku
This variety of Koi is known for its combination of color and grace. It is often mistakenly called “sanke.” Taisho Koi are generally white fish with black and red markings, however, they do not have any black on the head, belly or base of the pectoral fins.

Asagi Koi
The body of this Koi is generally light blue with a pinecone effect created by the scales on it. The cheeks, abdomen and joints of the fins on this Koi are red. This fish is certainly a “fruit cup” of colors and textures.

Utsuri Varieties
Displaying dynamic patterns of black and just one other color, this variety of Koi is among the most spectacular fish in any pond. Utsuri Koi and known for their bold contrasts and powerful appearances.

Bekko Koi
The bekko, pronounced BECK –ko, Koi variety looks something like a Dalmatian. They have small black spots over a solid base color. Although they are not considered to be glorious or flamboyant fish, as are some Japanese varieties, bakko Koi do offer their own style of simplicity and grace.

Differentiating Taisho from Showa
If you cannot tell the difference between the taisho snashoku and the fish knows as the “kindai showa,” this paragraph will give you some useful hints. The two fish are indeed very similar with just slight differences. Most often, the base color of a taisho Koi is white while the base color of the kindai showa is black. In addition to the difference in base color, several specific identifiable traits can help you to differentiate between the two breeds.

Go-Sanke: The Big Three Koi Varieties
The Japanese term “go-sanke” means “big three families.” The big three Japanese Koi varieties of koh haku, showa and taisho are what the term refers to specifically in this article.

Tancho Varieties
A large red marking on the fish’s forehead identifies the tancho Koi. There are three tancho Koi varieties: the tancho kohaku, tancho sanshoku and tancho showa.

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