Doitsu — The Scaleless Type (ドイツ鯉 (Doitsu))
Not a colour variety but a scale type — German mirror-carp ancestry that leaves the skin bare or with single rows of large scales.
Doitsu — The Scaleless Type: Skin without the normal full scale cover; either fully smooth (leather) or with rows of enlarged mirror scales along the back and lateral line.
| Pattern (JAS-aligned) | Skin without the normal full scale cover; either fully smooth (leather) or with rows of enlarged mirror scales along the back and lateral line. |
|---|---|
| Colours | Any variety's colours can appear in Doitsu form: Doitsu Kohaku, Doitsu Sanke and others. |
| How to tell it | Run your eye along the flank: bare skin or a single bold scale-line instead of a full scaled coat means Doitsu. |
The variety in Japanese koi culture
Doitsu is the word Japanese koi uses for the German carp cross introduced in the Meiji era, and it describes scales, not colour — which is why this guide treats it as a type page alongside the colour varieties, exactly as keepers use the word. A Doitsu fish shows its pattern directly on the skin, so markings read sharper and any unevenness shows sooner. Shusui is the famous fully established Doitsu variety; many other varieties also have recognised Doitsu forms named by adding Doitsu before the variety name.
Keeping notes on this page are limited to generally published principles about the variety in Japan. This page gives no diagnosis, no treatment and no prescription for an individual pond or fish. For a fish that looks unwell, contact a veterinarian or your local fisheries office.
Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA — summary in our own words, credit only); All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association official; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Finance Ministry trade statistics as published; Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) for nishikigoi variety names and definitions (2022); Niigata Prefecture, Ojiya City, Nagaoka City (Yamakoshi) and Nishikigoi no Sato official; Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) visitor statistics; USDA APHIS and Australian DAFF official import guidance. Checked 6 November 2026.