Karasugoi family

Karasu literally means "raven," and goi is koi. This fish's association with a raven is logical. A common Dutch expression is "as black as a raven," and that's exactly what this variety is; jet black. Sometimes this variety has a slightly lighter red to gray belly, but viewed from above, the blacker the better. The Karasugoi variety itself isn't particularly popular. While a good specimen can be a beautiful sight, this fish doesn't stand out very well because we usually have a black pond bottom. It's often hard to find. Most hobbyists consider this a waste and don't choose this variety for their collection, preferring an explosion of color.

Ancestor

The interesting thing about the Karasugoi, however, is that it forms the basis of a considerable number of popular varieties. The true Karasugoi is, as it were, the progenitor of a wide range of varieties. These varieties therefore belong to the "Karasugoi family."

Welcome to the family

Karasugoi: Scaled patternless black koi
Hajiro: Scaled, patternless black koi with white (tips on the) pectoral fins
Sumi Nagashi: Scaled black koi with white markings on the scales and sometimes a white head.
Hageshiro: Scaled black koi with a white head and white (tips on the) pectoral fins
Yotsushiro: Scaled black koi with a white head, white pectoral fins, a white dorsal fin and a white tail
Matsukawa bake: Scaled black koi with a white pattern (in this case the pattern runs lengthwise along the fish, not to be confused with Shiro Utsuri)

Wagoi, hikari

Ginga: Scaled patternless metallic black koi

Of the above varieties, there are also specimens with GinRin (reflective silver scales). These are indicated with the prefix "GinRin."

Doitsu, non-metallic

Kumonryu: Non-slip metallic variant from Matsukawabake
Beni Kumonryu : Schubarme metallic variant of Matsukawabake with an added red pattern.

Doitsu, Hikari

Kikokuryu : Metallic variant of Kumunryu
Beni Kikokuryu : Metallic variant of Beni Kumunryu

All in all, the Karasugoi family is a very interesting group of fish. The most important characteristics of this family are the pattern (if applicable) that follows the koi's lateral line (lengthwise) and the highly variable sumi (black). For example, a Kumonryu can be almost white in summer and almost black in winter.