Many outlets advertise ‘Japanese show koi’ to the buying public. But just what makes a koi a show fish and what makes a koi a pond grade fish? And more importantly, for the consumer, what makes one fish worth hundreds, and even thousands of dollars and others of no monetary value at all?

Well generally speaking, Koi, like many other domestic animals, has been selectively bred for specific appearance. And the term show fish is typically reserved for excellent representatives of each breed or variety that selective breeding has created. Pond fish on the other hand, might be siblings of show fish and be recognized as a specific breed, yet they lack levels of accomplishment in key areas of development.

To better understand what these areas, or elements, are that define one fish from another ,we need to appreciate what a koi is. A koi is technically, a common carp. Yet through the accumulation of mutations and selective breeding programs, the Japanese koi farmers have produced a surreal version of the drab black carp. And over time this unique race of carp have formed thirteen distinct varieties with scores of pattern and scale variations.

The ‘elements’ that separate pond fish from show fish and average show fish from super show fish are :

1) conformation

2) skin quality

3) color

4) pattern

- Conformation is the most fundamental element as it judges the fish on two levels. First, the basic soundness of the fish as future breeding stock. The fish should have a normal healthy body free of deformities and evidence of permanent damage. Secondly, the body line and general shape and condition of fins, eyes, head, gill plate should be ideal for the nishikigoi standard. This means a torpedo shaped body, strong backbone, and certain volume that creates the effect. Within this description, special recognition is given to fish that excel in body shape. And although the first description of conformation is to catch and weed out deformities and serious defects, especially in very young fish, the second description of superior conformation is most important in the adult female fish which as the potential for demonstrating the ideal in the standard for high quality show fish.

- Skin quality is the second fundamental element in show fish as it becomes the canvas on which the show pattern will be carried. The two basic colors for all nishikigoi is either black or white. This can be confusing for the beginner as these two basic colors can appear in many different shades and colors based on the complexity of the fish’s skin. Black becomes blue for instance, when the black skin is effected by mutation or location within the depth or surface of the skin.

The word ‘quality’ when discussing skin, refers to a refinement of skin in which the layers that carry color cells and pattern are translucent, bright and lustrous. And in the case of the ‘Big Three’ Gosanke varieties ( Kohaku, Sanke and Show) this skin is a beautiful porcelain white in color and often has a silk like quality to it.

Because koi are examples of ‘living’ art, the quality of skin develops and evolves over the life of the koi, with the very best display evident on adult female koi.

- Color is, of course, THE thing that gives koi their reputation. Color never fails to produces great fascination in all that see an adult koi for the first time. All koi, to the beginner’s eye, are brightly colored. But the difference between the color in a pond koi and an accomplished show fish is immediately evident even to the beginner when the fish are compared , side by side. And this is exactly one of the purposes of a koi show- to education by example what makes one koi better than the next.

Color in show fish is always bright and well defined. In exceptional koi, those blessed with both high quality skin and rich well defined colors, the color takes on a beautiful glossy appearance. Some have described the red as reminding them of a candy apple in depth of color and glossiness.

- Pattern is the artist expression of each individual koi, and it is unusual to see any two patterned koi that are exactly alike in every detail. This is one of the contradictions of nishikigoi, they are similar enough to be recognized as a ‘family of carp’ but different enough from one another that each variety has it’s own pattern charm and points of amazement.

Nishikigoi are traditionally kept in ponds and viewed from above. So it is logical that they have been selectively bred to have most of their visual impart from that angle. Through selective breeding all of the koi varieties have one of four potential pattern designs-

* Solid body color- one single body color. Red, white, black, yellow, platinum, green, brown, grey, grey/blue, orange.

* Dorsal pattern- Islands or steps of color creating an artistic and balanced pattern down the body

* Wrapped patter- similar to the dorsal pattern at first glance, but the wrapped pattern rises from the belly area onto the back . This creates a dorsal viewing surface.

* lateral line pattern- this is a pattern derived from scaleless or doitsu koi. In this pattern orientation, color patterns run from head to tail along the area just above the lateral line of the fish.

Show koi’s patterns are judged with a different ‘weighting’ as the fish grows and matures. When small, a fish pattern can change and even disappear in some fish. The pattern that remains in tact and well defined is of greatest value. In addition, the balance of the pattern as the eye travels from head to tail is of paramount importance in a show fish.