JAPANESE TERMS
Basic Terms Used For  Koi
Blue   
Ai         
Inazuma    
Lightning pattern Home
Muji         Self-couloured
Aka        Red   
Kabuto     Showa  Era from 1926 onwards
Cap or helmet reffering to fish with head coulour different from the body Grey
Nezu        
Nippon Hi    
Single steps an unbroken hi pattern
Old varieties from 1868-1928
Akame    Shusui
Eye with red Iris 
Beni        Orange-red  Karasu       
Black overall  
One-colour metallic 
Ogon        
water (ripping effect)
Sui
Bekko   Tortoises-shell 
Ki        
Yellow  
Orenji       
Orange
Sumi
Black (in the form of a patch)
Very white mettalic (platinum)
Brown    KIn       
Gold mettalic Parrachina    
Cha     
Taisho
Era 1912-1926
German type fish with scales along dorsal and lateral lines only
Doitsu
Kiwa       Edge of pattern
Rin       
Scale
A bird with red crest
Tancho
Kohaku    Red and white fish 
Sandan      Three step pattern
Kuchibeni    Tategoi
Red lipped A koi with potential for further development, is not yet finished developing
Sanke, or Sanshoku     
Three coloured fish normally red, black and white
Silver Metallic   
Gin         Muliticouloured (peacock)
Kujaku   
Koi   
Goi       
Matsuba  
Pine cone pattern
Sashi   
Blurred line cause by white scales over-lapping red ones on leading edge at hi
Utsuri   
Reflecting
Green
Midori
V shaped pattern on the head 
Hachiware 
Black marking on base of pecs on a showa Yamabuki   
Motoguro Japonica bush with pale yellow flowers
Hi     
Red
White
Shiro