King Kohaku

King Kohaku

The Kohaku is the most prized and best-known variety of koi. Most of the major awards at koi shows are awarded to this variety. Literally translated from Japanese, Kohaku means "red with white," which is therefore an apt description of this fish. The Kohaku is a wagoi (scaled carp) with a white base color and an orange to red pattern.

To arise

Kohaku is said to have originated at the end of the 19th ^century A century later, the breed originated from breeding several color variations of the edible carp. An albino (completely white fish) was crossed with a Higoi (a red fish) by Kunizo Hiroi. This resulted in a single white and red fish (the rest were white, red, or brown). In this case, a white koi with a red head. This fish forms the basis of the modern Kohaku.

Simplicity with maximum difficulty

The Kohaku is the uncrowned king among the many koi varieties. This surprises many beginning hobbyists, who don't understand why a simple red and white "goldfish" is so highly prized. This is understandable when you see some other varieties, such as a shiny, multicolored glitter ball. But it is the Kohaku that has stolen the hearts of breeders and hobbyists in Japan. Precisely because of its simplicity, but also because of its association with the Japanese flag, which also features a white base with a red pattern. However, don't be fooled by its apparent simplicity. The Kohaku knows most of the rules that ideally it must adhere to as a variety. It is the most finely bred variety, and by far the greatest effort has been put into perfecting it, by many breeders and over many generations. You have to be very good if you want to win a prize at a show with your Kohaku. The competition is fierce.

Cartridge

The red pattern on the white base color can be described as a "saddle pattern." These are large spots that regularly run across the fish's imaginary dorsal line (the line extending from the dorsal fin). It's crucial that the red patterns on the white are perfectly defined, so there's no reddish intermediary color between the red and the white. Furthermore, there are a thousand and one rules that the patterns must adhere to and where they may or may not appear.

Subvarieties

Of all koi varieties, the Kohaku has the most subvarieties. There are names for the number of spots along the length of the fish. Two spots is called a Nisai Kohaku (ni is two and sai is step), three spots a Sansai Kohaku, and so on. A very well-known subvariety is, of course, the Tancho Kohaku. A completely white fish, the only exception being a red dot on its head. According to the chauvinistic Japanese, there's no better representation of the flag. Also highly prized is the Inazuma Kohaku, where the pattern runs like a lightning bolt across the koi's back.