The Diversity of Koi Fish

Started from Carp mutations back in the 1820's in Japan. Koi Fish came in just one or two colors. Due to their huge popularity today the Koi now come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Its not unusual to see Koi in Black, red, blue, green yellow and of course the White Koi.

In order to easily recognize the different varieties of Koi Fish you will need a basic understanding of the classifications the various Koi are divided into. While each variety has its own standards a certain amount of variation is acceptable. A couple stand out as the most popular varieties. Kahaku Koi is one of the most popular varieties. Another popular variation is the Hikarimono or Ogon Koi.

The name Hikarimono simply means metallic single color. So these Koi Fish are all one color but with a metallic appearance. They usually appear as Yamabuki Ogon or yellow and in white or silver and referred to as Platinum Ogon. Regardless of the color or the variety they should be the same shade of color from the head to the tips of their fins. Larger fins in the Ogon Koi offset the plain color for a better display.

Unique and popular in the world of Koi are the White Koi or Platinum Ogon, whose bodies appear to shine like the luster of precious metal. First appearing in 1963, these unique and glamourous Koi Fish were probably crossed with the Kigoi or graysh-silver Nezu(from the Japanese word "rat" or nezumi) Ogon. These have become very popular because they are easily cared for, are hardy and grow very rapidly. Standing out and easily seen in murky water they are the perfect choice for poorly filtered ponds. Nezu, Orenji and the Fuji Koi are other varieties of the Ogon Koi.

Most of the Platinum Ogon Koi are bred with what is known as Ginrin scales. The Ginrin scales make them appear even shinier, and are very different than the scales seen on the metallic or "Hikarimono". The Ginrin scales have a very reflective metallic shine over all or most of the scale. This creates a shimmering effect much like cut diamonds. In order to qualify as Ginrin they should have more of these scales than one can count as it swims past an onlooker. The accepted minimum is about 20 scales.

The huge variety of patterns and colors is the key factor for Koi enthusiasts to fill their ponds with Koi Fish. Viewing directly from the top is the best way to see the Koi in all their splendor. Most of the Koi's pigment is in the top side of the fish. In Koi Fish shows in Asia the Koi are always viewed from top in round pools.