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Koi Terminology
Aka
(AH kah) Entire red body
Aka hana
(AH kah HAH nah) Red nose
Akame
(AH kah may) The red iris in the eye of an albino koi. Often seen in Kigoi
Akebi
(ah KEH bee) light blue
Ami
(ah ME) Net
Amime
(ah ME meh) Mesh or scales in a net pattern
Aragoke
(ah rah GO keh) Large armour or plate scales
Atama
(ah TAH mah) Head crown
Ato
(AH toh) Late-appearing usually referring to sumi that often develop later than other colours
Beni
(BEN ee) Describes deep solid red. Often used in the Go-Sanke varieties.
Beta-gin
(BEH tah deen) a type of gin-rin scale, where the whole scale sparkles
Boke
(BOH kee) Undeveloped Showa sumi
Bozu
(boh ZOO) No hi on the head, bald head
Budo
(BOO doh) A pattern of colored scales resembling a bunch of grapes
Danmoyo
(dahn MOW yow) A stepped pattern
Doh
(doh) Body
Doitsu
(DOYTs) also called German koi that are not fully scaled, usually with a row of large plate scales along each lateral line and a row on either side of the dorsal fin
Fucarin
(FOO kah reen) The area of skin between the scales giving a ‘golf ball’ like appearance
Fukurin
(FOO koo reen) Mesh pattern or reticulated effect (vignette) involving scales and skin
Giku
(GEE koo) Relates to the swimming mode of a koi with a deformed body.
Gin
(geen) Shiny, reflective, silver metallic.
Ginrin or Gin-Rin
(geen reen) Refers to sparkling scales, often called diamond scales
Godan
(GOH dahn) Five step pattern
Goi
(goy) Fish
Goke
(GOH keh) Fish scale
Gotenzakura
(goh tehn ZAH koo rah) Cherry pattern
Hachi
(HAH chee) Head
Hara
(hah RAH) Abdominal area
Hi
(HEE) A term for red, not typically used when discussing Go-Sanke. Often used for variety names i.e. Hi-Showa, Hi Utsuri etc.
Hikari
(hee KAH ree) Metallic. i.e. the metallic seen on a Yamabuki.
Hikarimono
(hee KAH ree MOH noh) Single-coloured metallic koi, such as Kin Matsuba
Hikarimoyo
(hee KAH ree MOH yoh) Multicolored metallic koi, such as Kujaku
Hikari-moyomono
(hee KAH ree MOH yoh MOH noh) A classification including all metallic koi with two or more colors, except metallic Utsuri and Showa
Hikarimuji
(hee KAH ree MOO gee) Single-coloured metallic koi used more so for varieties such as Mukashi Ogon, Yamabuki etc.
Ichimatsu
(EE chee maht soo) Checkered pattern
Inazuma
(EE nah ZOO mah) Lighting strike pattern
Ippon hi
(EE pohn HEE) A continuous red pattern from head to tail
Iro
(EE row) Colour
Jari
(JAH ree) Literally means gravel
Jarisumi
(JAH ree SOO mee) Small black sumi spots
Kabuto
(kah BOO toh) Means ‘helmet’. Refers to a koi with a head colour that is different from its body
Kana
(KAH nah) Male koi
Katamoyo
(KAH tah MOH yoh) A pattern that is present only on one side of the body
Kawagoi
(KAH wah goy) A koi with no scales except for some reflective scales on the dorsal surface
Kawarimono
(kah WAH ree MOH noh) All non-metallic koi that don’t fit into any other classification
Kawarigoi
(kah WAH ree goy) The new term for Kawarimono
Kin
(keen) Metallic gold
Kindai
(keen DYE) Modern
Kin Gin-Rin
(keen geen deen) also known as Gin-Rin (geen deen) Koi with silver or gold-colored sparkling scales
Kiwa
(KEE wah) The trailing edge of a pattern
Koke
(KOH keh) Scale
HeadingKokenami
(KOH keh NAH mee) Line of scales
Kuchi
(KOO chee) Lips
Kuchibeni
(KOO chee BEN eee) A koi with red lips
Kutsubera
(KOO tsoo beh RAH) Shoehorn or U-shape pattern on the head
Magoi
(MAH goy) Mud carp, originally wild carp
Maruten
(MOH roo ten) A separate, self contained hi (red) pattern on the head with other hi patterns on the body
Menkaburi
(MEHN kah BOO ree) Hi (red) covering the entire face or head
Menware
(MEHN wah reh) Traditional black head patterns of Showa and Utsuri
Motoaka
(MOH toh AH kah) Red markings at the base of the pectoral fins
Motocha
(MOH toh chah) Brown markings at the base of the pectoral fin
Motoguro
(MOH toh GOO roh) Black markings at the base of the pectoral fins
Namikin
(nah MEE keen) The caudal or tail fin
Namitate
(nah MEE tah teh) Dorasl Fin
Nishikigoi
(nee SHEE kee goy) ‘Jewelled’ carp
Nisai
(NEE sye) A koi in its second year – up to two years old
Odome
(oh DOH meh) Last marking before the tail
Ojime
(oh GEE meh) Gap between the last pattern marking and the tail
Ozuke
(oh ZOO keh) The base of the tail
Pongoi
(POHN goy) Good quality fish
Rin
(deen) Scale
Sansai
(SAHN sye) A koi in its third year – up to three years old
Sashi
(SAH shee) The leading edge of a pattern element
Shimi
(SHEE mee) Undesirable, small black spots or dots, no larger than a single scale
Shiroji
(shee ROH gee) White area
Sokozumi
(SOH koh ZOO mee) Black that is faintly visible
Sumi
(SOO mee) Black marking
Take
(TAH ky) Means expensive. Usually used to describe the breeders most expensive Koi.
Tategoi
(TAH teh goy) A koi that possess potential for the future
Tateshita
(TAH teh shee tah) Young koi that has finished developing and has no potential for improvement. the opposite of Tategoi
Tebire
(teh BEE reh) Pectoral fin
Tejima
(teh GEE mah) Sumi stripes in the fins
Tosai
(TOH sye) A koi in its first year – up to one year old
Tsuya
(TSOO yah) Luster
Wagoi
(WAH goy) Scaled koi
Yogyo
(YOHG yoh) Young fish
Yonsai
(YAHN sye) A koi in its fourth year, up to four years old