Shusui

shusui koi fish south africa

Shusui

From R500.00

Shusui was the first Doitsu variety of koi and is one of the only two blue koi! They are a Doitsu (scale-less) version of Asagi. Shusui was first bred by mixing the Doitsugio, a German scale fish, and the Asagi. When looking for a Shusui, you will want to find a symmetrical pattern of scales as the Shusui do not have scales throughout their body, but rather only down the middle of their back along the dorsal fins.

Description




Unlike most koi fish varieties the Shusui koi fish have no scales apart from the scales along their back much like the Mirror Carp it is descended from. These scales should start close to the koi’s head and extend to their tail without extending to the sides of the fish or having any missing scales. The scales should be larger than the scales you see on other koi fish varieties and have a blue-black coloring which they inherited from their Asagi ancestors who have the same color of scales.

 

Shusui Koi Fish Markings

 

Added to the striking and unusual scale pattern on a Shusui koi are its vibrant, eye-catching red markings. These markings vary from fish to fish but are often found on the sides and fins. They are generally symmetrical in appearance. The contrast of these gorgeous red markings against the light base color and dark scales makes it one of the most attention-grabbing fish in the pond.

 

Types of Shusui Koi Fish

 

Although the bluish-black scales on its back are the most important factor of a shusui koi, there are also different types of shusui koi. They have specific characteristics to adhere to when choosing an award-winning fish. These are the different varieties:

  1. Hi shusui koi
  2. Ki shusui koi
  3. Hana shusui koi
  4. Butterfly shusui koi
  5. Tancho shusui koi

 

Where Did They Originate From?

 

The Doitsu scale type originated in Germany when an Asagi koi was bred with a German Mirror Carp in the early 1900s. These Mirror Carp had a genetic mutation that resulted in certain growth genes not developing properly. This mutation was commonly seen in many types of carp including koi and zebrafish as well as thousands of other species and is visible in the form of a lack of scales or a fully scaleless fish. When the gene mutation was first spotted in Germany, the fisherman encouraged it and grew the population of fish with the mutation as it made preparing the fish for cooking and eating a lot easier and quicker. Eventually, many species developed to the point where every fish had the mutation.

 

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