Asagi Koi

Asagi are one of the much older Koi varieties with sometimes stunning colouration in an unusual pattern. Asagi are Koi that have light blue/grey bodies with their gill plates, abdomens, pectoral fins and tail fin that ideally should blaze red. Their white scales on their back though, edged with blue make these fish difficult to appreciate from a photograph. Once you see them in the flesh, it is far easier to understand the love affairs that can develop between them and their owners...

Asagi are one of those Koi though that one does not see that many of. They can grow truly enormous beyond Jumbo and one Asagi in a collection is normally enough. There are not many Koi ponds that have a dominant Asagi population and there are no real reasons why this should be the case. Every pond however should have a good example of an Asagi.

A great Asagi though is not easy to find. A  Young Asagi generally do not have much red on their bellies. Asagi are one of the few Koi varieties where red actually develops as the Koi gets older. Sometimes however you do get Asagi that never develop any red on their bellies at all - so watch out for that. The other extreme of course is that too much red develops and you end up with a scruffy looking Hi Asagi.

This is not necessarily a bad thing because some Hi Asagi can be quite beautiful. It all depends on your personal taste after all.

The ideal red on the belly of an Asagi should not extend up beyond the lateral line and it should be a straight edge red. Scalation and reticulation of the scales is also of critical importance in Asagi as the fish will display these to best effect once the fish is at its peak.

A good clear, clean head is a critical factor for Asagi. The whiter the better but since the skin of Asagi is not a true white it is more important that the quality of the skin without blemishes or black speckles (shimmies) is high.

Also, of course as with all Koi but perhaps more so than with other varieties, the body of an Asagi should be awesome. In other words it should be classic Koi torpedo shaped with good presence and powerful aspect. Since Asagi can grow so large the body shape on a younger Asagi is extremely important with females typically demonstrating near ideal Koi body shapes for judging and reference purposes.

Shusui

Shusui are basically Doitsu (scaleless) Asagi. It means that they are also one of the older varieties of Koi and like their scaled cousins, Shusui can grow truly enormous.

Shusui are, like Asagi, unique in that they are able to develop red (hi) as they grow older. Similar to Asagi in the most common variation of Shusui the red develops only on the belly of the Koi and doesn't extend up above the lateral line.

Some Shushi do develop red right up to the shoulders and back of the Koi and these are referred to as Hanna Shusui. The red of Shusui is not normally as intense as that found on Kohaku, but it can be. Some Shusui have been known to develop intense reds particularly when younger.

As with Asagi, a good clear and clean and as white as possible head is a focal point of Shusui. A balanced red pattern on either side of the Koi is also important - with symmetry being appreciated. Body shape and excellent fins also count heavily when it comes to Shusui appreciation.

Shusui often look bluish when they are young. This is due to the skin being thinner when they are young, and the light grey of the Asagi is underlying. As the Koi grows the grey gradually appears to fade with the 'blue' lightening as this happens. As the Shusui finishes the skin will become white.

Shusui will typically have a 'zip' of scales running from the head of the Koi down to the tail and on either side of the dorsal fin. These scales are important - again they are a focal point of the Koi. The scales should be even in size and spacing and the colour underneath them should be consistent and uniform (the tendency is for these scales to darken as the Koi ages).