(Ah-Sog-Ee)

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.