The Kohaku Koi fish that is brilliantly white with attractive red patterns on it which appears as if an artist has carefully painted them. It is the most common variety that one would encounter in any show or among any hobbyists collections. The group of red spots or patterns are called "steps" and the steps on the body are used as one of the primary grading factor. A top quality Koi will have a very smooth flow from head to tail with nice pattern and without any deformations in the body or fins. There are all sorts of different Kohaku patterns. Some are broken up, some are large and sweeping. Look for a pattern that doesn't go down past the eyes and is well-balanced. There are names for the different patterns: The two-step Kohaku pattern is called Nidan. The three-step pattern is called Sandan. The four-step pattern is called Yondan. The lighting strike pattern is called Inazuma. Important - Please read before purchase: We are currently not shipping koi. If you decide to purchase online, please call us at (206) 350-7580 or email us at [email protected] before you checkout to guarantee availability. On a weekly basis (every Saturday) we update our inventory lists and quantities to reflect current stock. However, as we have shipments arriving from Japan as well as customers coming in and buying every day of the week, availability may vary. Once you contact us, we will check the availability and reserve your fish, otherwise these fish are on a first come, first serve basis. Also, please note that the Images on this page are intended only to give you a visual representation of what the breed generally looks like and are not pictures of the koi you are purchasing. we have way too many to choose from and updating these constantly is not realistic. I can send you actual pictures upon request but we encourage you to stop by to store to see in person ([email protected]).
