KOI TERMINOLOGY

BENI – Red.

BENIGOI – Non-metallic, deep crimson koi.

BOKE SHOWA - Showa with indistinct greyish black pattern.

CHAGOI – Non-metallic brown koi.

DIA – Mutant scales that appear gold over red and silver over white areas of skin.

DOITSU – Koi with no scales other than enlarged scales along the lateral line and two lines running either side of the dorsal fin.

ENYU – Purplish koi with red markings.

FUKURIN - Net effect of lustrous skin around the scales of (usually) metallic koi.

GIN - Silver

HAJIRO – Black koi with white nose and white-tipped fins.

HANATSUKI – A red pattern that reaches the mouth.

HI – Red.

HIKARIMOJI – Class for single-coloured metallic koi.

HIKARIMOYO – Class for all multi-coloured metallic koi except Utsuri and Showa.

INAZUMA – Lightning strike pattern.

IPPON HI - Where solid red runs from nose to tail without a break.

KAGE - Shadowy black reticulated marking over white (or red on Hi Utsuri).

KAWARIMONO - Class for all non-metallic koi not included in any other group.

KI – Yellow.

KIGOI - Non-metallic yellow koi.

KINDAI – White skin predominates the koi carp.

KIN – Gold

KIN-GIN-RIN / GIN-RIN – Koi with highly reflective gold and/or silver scales.

KIWA – Border of red and white at the rear edge of red patterns.

KOHAKU – White koi with red markings.

KOKESUKE – Semi-translucent.

KOROMO – ‘Robed’. Red colouration overlaid with blue or black.

KOROMO SHOWA – Solid black joins black reticulation over the red.

KUCHIBENI – Red lips ; literally translates to lipstick.

MAGOI – Ancestral black carp.

MARUTEN – A self-contained head marking, plus red elsewhere on the body.

MATSUBA – Black centre to scale, giving a pinecone appearance.

MENKABURI – Red head.

MENWARE – Showa head pattern.

MIDORIGOI – Greenish yellow with mirror scales.

MOTOGURO – Solid black colouration in the base of pectoral fish on Showa and related varieties.

NIDAN – Two-step pattern.

SANDAN – Three-step pattern.

SANKE – White koi with red and black markings.

SHIMI – Undesirable individual dark brown or black scales on areas of ground colour.

SHIRO MUJI – All-white, non-metallic koi.

SHOWA – Black koi with red and white markings.

SORAGOI – Plain blue-grey koi.

SUMI – Black

TANCHO – Circular red spot on head. No other red on the body.

TATEGOI – ‘Unfinished’ koi of any age that should continue to improve.

TORA/ TIGER/ OGON – Metallic equivalent of Ki Bekko.

TSUBO SUMI – Black on white skin.

UTSURI - Reflections

YAMATONISHIKI – A metallic Sanke koi.

YONDAN – Four step pattern.