Utsuri Koi (oot-sir-ē)
BLACK KOI with WHITE, RED or YELLOW MARKINGS
Utsuri is another very popular koi fish for Japanese koi ponds and water gardens. When you search for quality koi for sale, look for Utsuri koi that have pleasing checkerboard patterns and clear defined colors. Utsurimono have black skin, and are divided by interlacing markings of one other color. It has black bands of color wrapping around the body with one other non-metallic color. A red Utsuri is called Hi Utsuri, white type is called Shiro Utsuri, and the yellow type is called Ki Utsuri. Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri have red and yellow markings respectively in place of the white areas on a Shiro Utsuri. The sumi should be dark and distinct on the koi regardless of the contrasting color.
Like the Showa variety, sumi (black) on an Utsuri should essentially appear as bands of color on the nose, face side and throughout the body, as well as in the pectoral fin joints. Motogoro is the term for the black pigment located on the pectoral fins. Menware is the term referring to a band of sumi which divides the face or head pattern on the koi. The pectoral fins of Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri do not show Motoguro in the pectoral joints, instead, they are striped with sumi.
Formerly, Utsurimono were produced mostly as by-products of Showa Sanshoku breeding. Recently, however, very high quality Utsurimono has been bred with excellent Shiro Utsuri on one or both sides of parentage. Hi Utsuri koi continue to be born as a by-product of Showa Sanshoku koi breeding.
As a breeder of Japanese koi fish, Kloubec Koi Farm produces Utsuri of all three color types as well as Longfin Utsuri (butterfly) koi.
