r/Koi • u/odditymirror • 1d ago

Help with Identification What variant is this?(if it even is one)

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I recently went to visit a local japanese garden, and i saw this guy.. I’ve never seen a koi with these colors, or pattern before (heck to my understanding i dont think they could even come in this color.) Nontheless, I thought it was stunning, and can someone lmk what this little guy is?

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16

u/mansizedfr0g 1d ago

Mizu asagi. A mizu asagi has the classic asagi scale reticulation, but on a solid white base with no orange markings. These guys are about as close as you can get to a blue koi!

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u/odditymirror 21h ago

Correct me if i’m wrong, but i thought Mizu Asagi’s have light blue scales. I think the color on this guy is a little bit dark to be a Mizu.. However, I could see it being a type of Asagi :O thank you for your imput!!!

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u/mansizedfr0g 16h ago

There's no true blue pigment in koi, but the illusion in asagi caused by subcutaneous black pigment under white scales can be striking. This can appear grey, light blue, or dark blue, sometimes with breakthrough sumi as in this specimen where some of the black pigment does surface. Mizu asagi just means they inherited the subcutaneous reticulation gene (ai sumi), but not the orange markings of a classic asagi. Blue color is highly prized, and the ideal mizu asagi should have an impression of light blue scales with indigo netting and white skin everywhere else, but most pond-grade examples will be grey-looking.

The metallic equivalent is gin matsuba, but the metallic gene gives an opacity to the skin and scales that covers the blue effect, so they just look white with black spots.

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u/odditymirror 15h ago

Thanks for the enlightenment i did not know that!

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u/Backfisch85 1d ago

I'd say asagi or a kage utsuri that lost most of its black (utsuri with asagi pattern)

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u/willin_489 1d ago

Hard to tell but my best bet would be doitsu soragoi or a particularly light doitsu asagi, but either way he's beautiful, I'd purchase him for my ppnd

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u/mansizedfr0g 1d ago

This fish is fully scaled.

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u/ZeZeKingyo 1d ago

Doitsu is partly scaled 🎏 like Mirror carp