Kawarigoi

Poor Kawarigoi. AKCA’s website, books on koi judging, and the internet in general abound with judging and selecting criteria for Go-Sanke (Kohaku, Sanke, Showa), Bekko, Tancho, Goromo/Goshiki (the new Miss Popularities apparently), and Shiro Utsuri. But if you are looking for advice on selecting an Ochiba, or considering how well your Chagoi might do in a show, you usually turn up only statements that imply or say outright: “These fish fall into Kawarigoi (miscellanous category). There are too many kinds for me to go into detail.

Here is the brief, one-sentence definition of each fish.” I found a couple sites with slightly helpful advice. First, the main varieties encompassed by the group:

Chagoi— “Tea Colored” Koi. Solid colored koi ranging from pale jade to orange-brown. Good size potential, friendly personalities. Other solid colored koi in Kawarigoi are Kigoi (yellow), Benigoi (red), Soragoi (gray) and Midorigoi (green scaleless)

Ochiba Shigure— “Autumn Leaves on Water” Gray koi with orange to brown pattern, each scale well-defined.

 Black and White w/ Shifting Patterns: Kumonryu “Nine Crested Dragon” (scale-less black and white), Matsukawabake (scaled black and white), Kikokuryu (metallic Kumonryu). Red or Yellow variations: add “Beni” or “Ki” to name.

Kanoko— “Fawn” Dappled red scales on Kohaku, Sanke, or Showa.

Matsuba— “Pinecone” A white or red (Aka Matsuba) koi with dark reticulation on each scale.

Kage— “Shadow” Reticulated shadowing black (“sumi”). Variation on Sanke, Showa, or Utsuri.

From http://www.wsbol.com/pdfs/Koi_Selecting_and_Judging_Standards_003.pdf:

This class contains all the other Koi that do not fall into any other class... There are too many here to go over all the different perfect specimens for each. Within the class the more complex patterns are preferred over single color, if both are equal quality. The favorites in this category would be Ochiba Shigure, both types of Kumonryu and both types on Kikokuryu. Kanako and Kage can be interesting, but many times they do not hold their patterns for a long time. Their show lives are very short.

Kawarigoi are very popular with amateur hobbyists. There are many interesting oddities, but in the Japanese mind, there is a large difference between oddities and quality. One must be careful in Judging these Koi, that these are not confused. Not many of these are bred, so the competition is not there to drive their popularity in the show circuit. What then is really important in this class, is to have good pattern and body. This can then give these Koi a power element, that can push them higher in the ranks at the Show. A few of these in your pond can make an interesting collection.

From http://www.koiandponds.com/kawarimono.htm:

Color — Due to the large number of koi varieties under the category of 'Kawarigoi', this page can not describe the color criteria specific to each of them.  However, the color criteria discussed in other pages for mainstream koi varieties generally apply to kawarigoi as well.  Thus, colors must be deep and solid, with no signs of fading, blurring, spotting, or unwanted tinting anywhere.  The shade, hue, and quality of the colors must be consistent throughout the koi.

Pattern — Due to the large number of koi varieties under the category of 'Kawarigoi', this page can not describe the pattern criteria specific to each of them.  However, the pattern criteria discussed in other pages for mainstream koi varieties generally apply to kawarigoi with pattern markings as well.  For example, markings on the body must be artistically balanced.  This means that they must not be confined to one side or one end of the koi only.  As in any other koi, the markings on a kawarigoi must enhance the total beauty package of the koi. 

Body — Please see separate article on The Ideal Koi Body. Excerpt: “The body of a koi must conform as closely as possible to the industry-accepted standard, i.e., it must be thick and torpedo-shaped (large at the middle and tapering gradually towards both ends). It must be massive at the tail and stout at the shoulders.  Excessively thin koi must naturally be avoided.”

Ochiba Shigure 2005 Camellia Koi Club Show	Kanoko Sanke Koi Selecting Article	Chagoi 2006 Camellia Koi Club Show	Aka Matsuba www.genkikoi.com	Beni Kumonryu www.pskoi.com
Kage Tancho Showa www.eldon-koi.com	Kanoko Kohaku www.akca.org ZNA SoCal Koi of the Year'05	Kumonryu www.genikikoi.com	Matsukawabake www.keirinponds.com	Midorigoi www.keirinponds.com