Asagi are fully scaled, nonmetallic fish with a long history, but because they closely resemble Magoi (the wild black carp). Some hobbyists see them as unrefined, dull, and not proper koi at all. Certainly they are an acquired taste, far removed from the brilliantly tri colored modern Showa or the flashy koi grouped in Hikariutsuri. But their quiet elegance serves as a counterpart to their more exotic pond mates and they also have the potential to grow very large.
Asagi have a long, yet simple history. The Asagi Magoi, one of the three recognized types of Magoi, is said to be the forerunner of all modern koi breeds. About 160 years ago, two mutants koi types arose from this proto-koi, namely the Konjo and the Narumi Asagi. Although instrumental in the development of Matsuba koi, the dark Konjo Asagi were not seen as having any value, and were kept mostly for food stock. However, Narumi Asagi have gone on to become one half of a recognized judging variety - the other being their Doitsu counterparts, or Shusui.
The prefix "Narumi" is derived from the town of the same name in the Ichi Prefecture, where a locally made fabric can be found, whose weave pattern was said to resemble the pattern on the backs of these koi. At this time, Asagi seemed to have appeared all over Japan, not just in Niigata and this is when interest in mutant fish led to their being kept back from the food crop and bred together for curiosity's sake, long before koi were seen as a commercial proposition.
Ideally, the back of an Asagi should be evenly covered in scales that are pale blue at the spot where they enter the skin, but are a darker blue as they grow out. The sharper the definition between these two shades, the more impressive the koi will look. Because the scales are so well defined in this variety, any missing or damaged scales will stand out, seriously devaluing an otherwise good Asagi. The head coloring is an important feature in Asagi that is rarely seen in perfect or near perfect condition. Ideally, it should be a uniform clear white but more often takes on an undesirable blue or grayish tint. In young examples, the bones of the skull show through, but this effect disappears as the translucent skin thickens. If there is a lot of head hi forming a hood pattern, the fish is known as a Menkaburi Asagi.
Asagi hi, more often than not, shows as a rusty red than the bright scarlet associated with the Kohaku and other Go Sanke varieties. Typically, it runs up from the belly to the lateral line or slightly beyond, in some cases also covering the jaw, cheeks, and some or all of the fins. On the pectorals it can be configured like the motoguro of Showa, or else spread out over the entire area of the fins. Wherever hi appears in this variety it should be symmetrical. Some Asagi have a greater than usual percentage of red patterning, which can extend almost up to the dorsal fin. These are known as Hi Asagi. Others - Taki Asagi - have a white line dividing the areas of red and blue on the flanks. Both these sub varieties are still grouped in Asagi.
The second element of this paired group is the Shusui, which means "autumn water" in Japanese. At first sight, these mirror-scaled koi seem to have little in common with Asagi, but Shusui are actually the product of crossing Asagi with a German mirror carp in 1910 by Yoshigoro Akiyama, resulting in the very first Doitsu scaled koi breed.
The color distribution is essentially the same as in the Asagi, but because there are no normal scales to give an overall reticulated effect, the smooth, sky-blue back is instead highlighted by the Doitsu scalation. In good examples, these armored scales form a regular pattern on the shoulders of the koi and then run in two lines on either side of the dorsal fin, returning to a single line towards the tail. Another line is usually present along each flank, roughly following the lateral line.
The most common fault on a Shusui is a messy shoulder scale pattern that lacks symmetry. Rogue scales can appear elsewhere on the body, further devaluing the koi. Be wary, for in hard water, the mirror scales can turn grayish or black, and once this happens they never revert back to blue. As with Asagi, a clear head is essential for Shusui. Rather than the snowy-white preferred on Go Sanke varieties, Shusui skin is more of an icy-blue, but should still remain free of blemishes.
Sub classification is determined by the pattern of the red and blue on the body of the koi. Hi Shusui fashions hi that extends up over the back, so that the two contrasting colors are the red of the hi and dark blue of the mirror scales. These are unsubtle and quite striking koi. Hana Shusui (Hana meaning flower in Japanese) also have more red than normal, but here it is in the form of an extra band between the lateral line and dorsal fin, with a break in between. In the best examples, the hi is laid out in a wavy pattern to give a flowery effect.
In Ki Shusui, yellow replaces the red. And yet another rare, Shusui-like koi is the Midorigoi, which is greenish yellow with mirror scales. This one is benched in Kawarimono.
The scalation on younger koi will determine how it looks as the koi matures. As the koi grow, the skin stretches and the pinecone pattern will become more apparent. Those koi with predominantly white scales with small dots of blue in the center will finish as a koi with a deeply contrasted net pattern. Those with darker scales when small will produce a more even and deeper blue color, both of which are stunning. It should be noted that small koi (10" or less) will have a darker line in the middle of the head. This should not be considered a defect as this will clear with age.
