Popular Types Of Koi Fish
| Types Of Koi Fish | Color | Characteristics |
| Kohaku koi fish | White color with red-orange markings. | Kohaku is loved for its red pattern. The ... |
| Asagi | Blue or indigo and red at the base of th ... | Asagi has well-defined and even scales. |
| Kikokuryu | Shiny platinum skin. | Its lustrous shine makes it stand out. |
| Ogon | Silver or gold. | Its solid metallic color and shiny scale ... |
Full Answer
What are the symptoms of a sick Koi?
Take some time to do a quick body scan of your fish to check for the following symptoms:
- Cloudy, bulging, or red eyes
- Missing scales
- Growths, bumps, or discoloration
- Sunken stomach
- Body lesions or open wounds
- Tightly clamped, red-streaked, or tattered fins
- Rapid or labored breathing
- Inflamed gills
What diseases do koi fish have?
Signs of Koi Disease
- Not eating
- Fish segregating itself from others
- Fins clamped close to body
- Fish acting listless or lethargic
- Gasping at surface of pond
- Fish Sitting on bottom
- Hanging near surface or near waterfall
- Red streaks in fins
- Ulcers (red sores)
- White spots
What species are Koi fish?
The scientific name of the koi fish is Cyprinus rubrofuscus “koi.”. Cyprinus comes from the Greek kyprínos, whose meaning is “carp,” and rubrofuscus means something like “reddish dark brown” in Latin, which describes the animal’s coloring. So the fish’s scientific name is a “reddish dark brown carp, koi version.”.
How to keep koi fish alive?
- How to better understand the different koi colors and patterns…
- Three little known, yet simple ways to identify different koi varieties…
- Tips gleaned from expert koi breeders that few people ever know about…
- Three proven steps to identify koi fish diseases…
- 2 simple keys (that are right in front of your eyes) to bringing your koi fish home…
1. Asagi Koi
Asagi fish have blue bodies with splashes of red on their fins. They have black scales along the center of their backs, and the area around their faces is a bright white. They also have splashes of red around their eyes and rear fins.
2. Bekko Koi
One of the simpler color varieties, the Bekko is mostly white with splotches of black throughout. They have a slightly creamier color around their head too.
3. Doitsu Koi
The Doitsu is a scaleless Koi Fish that’s jampacked full of color. They have bright splotches of red, white, and black throughout. The location of the color will vary from fish to fish, giving them a unique and colorful appearance.
4. Ginrin Koi
Ginrin have highly reflective scales throughout their entire bodies. This gives them the appearance of shimmering in the water. They also have large splotches of red and white throughout their bodies, adding to their beautiful appearance.
5. Goshiki
A mix between the Asagi and Kohaku, this fish has characteristics of both fish. They have the black-speckled pattern of the Asagi and the large red-and-white splotches of the Kohaku. Since they’re a crossbreed, the exact location of the colors will change from fish to fish.
6. Hikari Muji
The Hikari Muji is a fish that appears to shimmer in the water. There are six different color options, and every Hikari Muji will come in a solid color. They can be red, orange, silver, gold, or yellow.
7. Hikari Utsuri
Hikari Utsuri are identical to Utsuri Koi Fish in all ways but one: They have a metallic appearance that makes them shimmer in the water.
How many Gin Rin scales are there in a koi?
To be considered Gin Rin, a koi must have at least three complete rows of Gin Rin scales. In competition, any koi that has the Gin Rin trait must first specifically qualify as its base variety. For example, a Kohaku must show all the characteristics of a show quality Kohaku before the Gin Rin trait is judged.
What are some examples of koi?
Examples of other colors used to describe koi include, Ki (yellow), Ogon (metallic monochromatic), and Muji (single-colored). It’s most common for koi to be tri-colored, but they can also be single-, bi-, or even multi-colored.
What is a koi scale called?
If a koi presents traditional scales, it is known as a Wagoi, literally meaning “normal, full-scaled.” Most koi keepers do not typically incorporate the term when referring to their koi, unless distinguishing between a koi with nontraditional scale patterns.
How big are butterfly koi fins?
Some Butterfly Koi have fins that are up to three-quarters of the length of the koi’s body . Koi with this fin type also have barbels (whiskers) that can grow long and can fork into elaborate designs. Typically the body size of a Butterfly Koi is a bit smaller and more narrow than that of a standard fin.
How many fins does a koi have?
Koi have three single fins and two sets of paired fins, known as pectoral fins. Standard Fin Koi have pectoral fins that are proportional to their bodies and usually short and oval shaped. Symmetry within the fin pair is obviously important in judging the overall show quality of a koi. Koi purists who have taken the hobby to its highest level usually tend to keep only koi with the original standard fins, as some of the top shows in Japan only allow koi with standard fins to enter competition.
How are koi color patches counted?
Each color patch is counted, beginning on the head or face. The base color of the koi’s body needs to be visible between the color patterns. The number of color patches should distribute evenly from head to fin. When a single Hi spot occurs on the head, the koi is also called a Tancho.
What is the hi pattern on a koi?
The pattern of the Hi will further distinguish the koi — for example, a Kohaku with a zigzag Hi pattern is called an Inazuma (lightning strike). Kohaku have been a staple in nearly every pond for more than a century.
How did the tancho get its name?
The Tancho gets its name from the Tancho crane, Japan’s national bird. The Tancho crane got its prestigious title from the single red spot on its head, which resembles the Japanese flag. The Tancho koi also features a red spot on its head.
What is a Koromo?
Koromo is a name that means ‘robed.’. This koi fish features a white body with red markings. Koromo kois are the result of breeding the Asagi with a Kohaku in the 1950s. As a result, Koromo kois also spot the distinct net-like coloration at the edges of its scales.
What is a Bekko?
The name Bekko means ‘tortoiseshell’. Bekko kois are basically Utsuri kois, but in reverse; they come with a colored base with black patterns. As a result, most people find it difficult to distinguish between the Bekko and the Utsuri. Enthusiasts, however, know that the Bekko always has a clean head while the Utsuri has black marks on its head.
What is a utsurimono?
Image Credit: Greg Mann, Shutterstock. Formally known as Utsurimono, this koi fish’s name means ‘reflective ones,’ or ‘reflections.’. The Utsuri features three subtypes, all having black as their primary color. The variants have either red, white, or yellow spots.
What is the meaning of Shusui?
The Shusui was one of the first kois to be bred from the Asagi. It came about from the crossbreeding of an Asagi with a mirror carp. Shusui means ‘autumn green,’ as an homage to its coloration.
What color is the Asagi Koi?
The Asagi koi is blue-grey fish with dark blue lines running along the edges of its scales to form a spectacular net-like pattern. Additionally, it has a red hue below its lateral lines and sometimes on its fins and belly.
When was the Sanke introduced?
The Sanke was first introduced to the public in 1914 during the Taisho era. You may also like: 29 Types of Goldfish Varieties (With Pictures) 3. Showa. Image Credit: Greg Mann, Shutterstock. Also known as the Showa Sanshoku or Showa Sanke, this variety of koi comes in a black body with red and white spots.
Koi Fish Color and Culture
The colors that koi come in are almost endless. Examples of other colors used to describe koi include, yellow, metallic monochromatic, and single-colored. The most common color for a koi is tri-color though they can be multi-, bi – or even mono-colored as well!
What Doitsu Does
Doitsu koi are a breed of carp that have no scales. These fish originated from Germany, where farmers developed the trait in order to make it easier for cooking and eating them. If scaleless carp were brought into enthusiast’s ponds with other varieties they would mix together well.
Conclusion
We hope this article has provided you with a comprehensive guide to koi colors and patterns. Koi scales are one of the most distinctive features that differentiate different types of fish, so it’s important for any hobbyist or enthusiast to know what they look like in order to identify their favorite kind.
Do All Baby Koi Look Alike?
After a few weeks, koi hatchlings may begin to show their first colors and patterns but there’s no guarantee that they’ll stay that way. Image by Giovanni Bagayas from Pixabay
When Do Koi Fry Get Permanent Color?
The healthiest koi fry may be selected and separated according to color in as early as 4 – 6 weeks. After about a month or two of growth, young koi will begin to show more distinct patterns.
Factors That Affect Color Development
Purebred koi, who come from well-established bloodlines, tend to have more vivid & desirable colors. Notable bloodlines include Kohaku and Showa (pictured). randychiu / CC BY 2.0
Does Pond Color Influence Pigmentation?
If you’re taking pictures of koi then a blue tank can help to make their pigmentation look more vivid, though it may be less noticeable with Asagi and Shusui koi (pictured) because they have blue pigmentation. KoiQuestion / CC BY-SA 2.0
Koi Chromatophores: Color-Producing Skin Cells
Chromatophores are specialized epithelial cells that can reflect and refract colors, determining koi coloration. Minette from Seattle, Washington, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Color Development in Hybrid Fry
Koi hybridization has helped shed light on the dominance of certain color phenotypes and patterns. Black patches, for example, are actually caused by a mutant gene! KoiQuestion / CC BY-SA 2.0
What is the name of the parasite that pops up on koi fish?
3. Costia. As a Flagellate protozoan parasite, Costia is a very serious and unfortunately common form of koi fish disease.
Why is ich important for koi?
Ich. A prime example of why koi disease identification is so important, ich is one of the most well known aquatic health disorders around. A protozoan parasite that is known as Ichthyophthirius multifilis, this parasite requires a microscope for diagnosis and can be tricky due to its quick spreading nature.
What is the disease of koi?
Chilodonella. Another disorder in which koi disease identification early on is key for survival, Chilodonella is a protozoan parasite that can have serious health consequences if left undetected. Known officially as Lernaea elegans, the symptoms of this disorder are: Clamped fins. Rubbing on surfaces.
What are the symptoms of koi fungus?
1. Aeromonas. Known as Aeromonas hydrophila, this bacterial infection causes a wide range of symptoms. These include things like: Lethargy.
What parasite moves with a cilla?
This parasite usually looks heart-shaped and moves with Cilla, which looks like hairs. 6. Columnaris. A bacterial infection with a lot of different nicknames, Columnaris is often called cottonmouth disease, tail rot, fin rot, saddleback disease, or by its official name of Flavobacterium columnare.
What parasites are visible in the body?
An easy to spot parasite, anchor worms can usually be resolved fairly easily. They are a crustacean parasite known as Lernaea elegans that show symptoms in the form of: Visible, thread-like extensions from the body that extends from the anchor-shaped head, usually greenish or white in color. Flashing.
What does a pink pimple look like?
Carp Pox. As a form of the herpes virus that impacts fish known as Cyprinid Herpesvirus 1, Carp Pox is very contagious and easy to spread. Symptoms of this virus include: White, blue, grey, or pink spots that look like dripping or melted wax.
