What Does An Utsurimono Koi Fish Look Like And How To Identify It

Among the most beautiful koi varieties is the utsurimono koi, which literally translates to “reflections” or “reflecting ones”.

Despite being initially thought of as a defect by koi breeders, the utsurimono has eventually proved that it is as graceful and beautiful as the other koi breeds.

In fact, the utsurimono has earned its place in the hearts of many koi breeders and enthusiasts, as well as in koi competitions.

Here’s a guideline on how to identify the graceful utsurimono koi fish.

Brief background on the graceful utsurimono koi fish

The utsurimono koi has been around for decades already and it has gained a lot of fans all over the world.

One of its varieties, the ki utsuri, is the oldest.

It came about some time in 1899 and it used to be sold at very high prices then.

It wasn’t until 1920, however, that the ki utsuri was fully developed and it took another four years for the other two varieties, the shiro utsuri and the hi utsuri, to come about.

The emergence of these two latter varieties almost drove the ki utsuri to extinction as more people favored the latter two types, but it’s great to know that all three varieties can still be found at present.

Helpful tips on how to identify the graceful utsurimono koi fish

Curious about the utsurimono koi fish?

Confused because the utsurimono looks very similar to other koi breeds?

Well, don’t worry because here are some helpful tips on how to identify the graceful utsurimono koi fish:

• Look at the color. The utsurimono koi fish is a koi breed with a black body accented with different colors. There are three types of utsurimono koi: the shiro utsuri (black with white markings), the hi utsuri (black with red markings), and the ki utsuri (black with yellow markings). Note that the utsurimono only ever has two colors: black and one of the three accent colors. The black base is distributed evenly – from the utsurimono’s head to the rest of its body.

• Look at the markings. Aside from the color combination, another good way on how to identify the graceful utsurimono koi fish is to look at its markings. What really sets apart the utsurimono koi from other koi varieties is its markings. When observing the utsurimono koi, you will notice that there are four common patterns which appear on the head of this breed. These four are: the lightning strike, the small black patches, the two distinctly different black patches, and the heavy black pattern separated by the accent color. As for the markings in the utsurimono koi’s body, you will notice that the accent colors tend to be evenly distributed, making the black base color appear as if it’s wrapped around the koi’s body.

And there you have it – your handy guide on how to identify the graceful utsurimono koi fish.

But no worries, really, because even to new breeders, this graceful and charming koi breed is certainly hard to miss.

So what are you waiting for?

I’m sure you’ll love having an utsurimono koi in your pond!