Do You Have Go Sanke Koi Fish? | Japanese Koi Carp Names Explained

So How Do The Japanese Name Koi?

To those who are new to pond keeping please note that Koi, belong to the carp family, and are indigenous to Japan.

Many of the leading Koi carp breeders and experts are Japanese; not too surprising given that they have been dealing with these beautiful fish for hundreds of years.

Fortunately, however, you don’t need a thorough grasp of spoken Japanese, to be able to understand the meaning of Koi names. You may find some of the pronunciation a bit difficult though.

The Japanese language is fairly logical and the names they have attributed to Koi carp describe the patterns and colors of each variety.

Japanese terms used to describe Koi

The Japanese use specific words and terms to describe particularly varieties and features of Koi fish; including color, pattern and undesirable patterns or features.

In the Koi keeping world the ultimate winner is the Go Sanke varieties, of which there are three:

Kohaku – A white Koi with a red pattern.
Sanke – A white Koi with a red and black pattern.
Showa – A black Koi that has a red and white pattern.

Next in line in terms of prestige include:

Bekko - A colored Koi with black markings.
Utsuri - A black fish that has a single colored marking.
Shusui – An amazing looking Koi that has blue and orange large mirror scales, covering the majority of its body.

There are also some exceptionally distinctive Koi carp that have a shining metallic appearance. Some of these varieties only have a single color whilst others combine several colors.

Examples of single-colored metallic varieties, known as Ogon, include:

Yamabuki – A yellow Ogon.
Purachina – A white and platinum Ogon.
Hariwake – A patterned Koi variety that has orange and yellow coloring on a paler body.
Kajaku & Kohaku – A Koi carp that appears platinum in color.

What Are The Japanese Colors Used In Koi Naming Conventions?

If you know the Japanese words for the various colors' then you are well on your way to understanding how the Japanese name the various Koi carp varieties.

The most commonly found Japanese colors in the Koi world are:

Red - known as aka or beni hi.
Orange - known as orengi.
Blue - known as ai.
Black - known as sumi.
Yellow - known as ki.
Gold - known as kin.
Metallic (Silver) – known as gin.

So, now that you are aware of the coloring conventions you should be able to understand the names of Koi varieties.

So you will now be able to see...

Why Ki Bekko is the term used to describe a yellow Koi with black marks.
Why Ki Utsuri is a black fish with yellow marks.
Why Hi Utsuir is a black Koi fish with red marks.
Why Gin Showa is a Showa that is silver (metallic).

Japanese words for Koi patterns

The popularity and ultimately the price of Koi will often depend upon the markings that the Koi has on its body.

Tancho Kohaku Koi Carp

The Tancho Kohaku is a particularly sought after variety of Koi carp. This fish has a white body with a single red marking.

In this instance the word Tancho refers to a red spot on the head.

A Tancho Kohaku has a single red spot on its head and a white body.

In fact, all Go Sanke Koi that have a red spot on their heads have the prefix "Tancho" in their name.

If the prefix "Maruten" is used, then the fish has red on its body. Some of the red coloring, however, separated from the remainder of the red.

Doitsu Koi Carp

Then there is a pattern called Doitsu, which refers to mirror scales that form along both the dorsal and lateral lines of the fish. Apart from these, the fish doesn’t have scales on the rest of its body.

Various Koi varieties feature the Doitsu pattern.

For example the Doitsu Sanke is a white, red and black Sanke that has the dorsal and lateral mirror fins (on the back and the sides) ... See picture opposite.

Unlike the vast majority of Japanese Koi varieties the Doitsu Koi variety is a result of cross breeding with German Koi carp.

One popular fully scaled variety of Koi is the Kinginrin, or Ginrin. These Koi have scales that literally sparkle, and include the Ginrin Kohaku, which is a platinum colored fish with gorgeous shiny scales.

Some other terms used to describe Koi features and patterns include:

Kiwa - describes how well defined the different colors of the fish are.
Shimi - describes tiny unwanted black spots that spoil other patterns.
Tategoi – describes a young Koi fish that hasn’t fully developed its genetically predetermined colors yet.

As with most things in life! The understanding only really comes with practice and exposure to the subject matter.

Have you managed to identify what type of Koi carp you have in your pond?