Variety
Also called: showa sanshoku
Black (sumi) base body with red and white markings wrapping around it, including black on the head and pectoral fin joints (motoguro). Distinguished from Sanke by black that wraps below the lateral line and appears on the head.
| Grade | Typical price (6–10″ unless noted) |
|---|---|
| Pond / garden quality | $60 – $1,280 |
| High grade / import | up to $2,500 |
| Show grade | $5,000+ |
Size, body conformation, and breeder line move prices more than variety alone — see the full koi price guide.
North Hollywood, CA Ships nationwide $$$ show
Cali Koi is a North Hollywood, California dealer, founded in 2004, that imports Japanese nishikigoi through relationships its owner built directly with breeders and agents in Japan. Alongside retail koi sales spanning pond-grade to high-end show fish, the business also offers pond and lake management consulting, koi rescue, and pond maintenance and installation services.
San Jose, CA Ships nationwide $$ $$$ show
ChampKoi (Champion Nishikigoi) is a San Jose, California online koi dealer founded in 1998 by hobbyist-turned-importer Tom Lai. It sells premium Japanese koi hand-selected directly from named Niigata- and Hiroshima-area breeder farms, ships nationwide overnight, and publishes individual breeder profiles so buyers can see which farm produced each fish before purchase.
La Center, WA Ships nationwide $$ $$$ show
Children of the Sun Koi, doing business as Cots Koi, is a Washington State importer founded in 2004 that sources exclusively from named Japanese breeders including Dainichi, Ikarashi, Maruyama, Izumiya, and Torazo Koi Farms rather than breeding its own stock. It carries Gosanke varieties, Shiro Utsuri, and Ginrin koi across a wide price range, with a live-arrival guarantee that applies to air-cargo shipments but not to UPS shipments. It is included in this Northeast/Midwest research batch even though it is West Coast-based, per the assigned task scope. Note: it competes in the same national import-focused segment as some larger East and West Coast dealers.
Milford, NJ Ships nationwide $$
Fitz's Fish Ponds is a New Jersey-based pond builder and koi dealer founded in 2008, running six greenhouses of Japanese koi at its Milford, NJ farm alongside retail locations in NJ and PA. The company both raises its own stock and imports directly from Japanese farms including Shintaro Koi Farm and Aokiya Koi Farm, and organizes buying trips to Japan for customers who want to hand-select fish. Koi ship nationwide, and the farm location is open to retail and wholesale visitors by appointment.
San Jose, CA Ships nationwide $$ $$$ show
Genki Koi is a San Jose, California koi importer founded in 1997, run by owner Kevin who travels to Japan several times a year to hand-select fish from more than 50 Niigata and Hiroshima breeders including Dainichi and Isa. It sells a broad range of traditional and metallic varieties online with nationwide shipping.
Douglasville, GA Ships nationwide $$ $$$
Grand Koi is a Japanese koi importer based near Atlanta in Douglasville, Georgia, describing itself as one of the largest US stockers of imported koi and citing preferred-buyer relationships with Japanese breeders including Dainichi, Sakai, and Momotaro. The company screens, quarantines, and acclimates koi at its Georgia facility before shipping to customers across the continental United States.
Amana, IA Ships nationwide $ $$
Kloubec Koi Farm is a family-owned Iowa hatchery, started in 1981 and focused on koi since the early 1990s, that breeds all of its own stock from Japanese-blooded parent fish on 80 acres of ponds rather than importing live koi. It ships nationwide with a live-delivery and USDA health-certification guarantee, and also allows Saturday, appointment-only farm visits during the season.
Mililani, HI Ships nationwide $$ $$$ show
Kodama Koi Farm has been farming koi in Mililani, Hawaii since 1969 and operates as both a breeder and a major importer, running weekly online auctions of fish sourced directly from top Niigata breeders such as Dainichi, Isa, and Marudo. It ships nationwide by air cargo from Hawaii and runs an additional retail location, Kodama Koi Garden, in New York.
Enola, PA Ships nationwide $ $$
Koi Fish USA is an online-only koi and butterfly koi retailer operated by Cumberland Valley Koi, LLC out of Enola, Pennsylvania. It focuses exclusively on live fish, offering next-day nationwide delivery, a 14-day live-arrival guarantee, and over 100 standard and butterfly koi varieties, though it does not publicly disclose whether stock is bred in-house or sourced from other farms.
Laguna Beach, CA Ships nationwide $$ $$$ show
Laguna Koi Ponds is an Orange County koi retailer in Laguna Beach, California that has operated since 1982. The business maintains roughly 35,000 gallons of display ponds stocked with imported Japanese koi hand-selected from breeders including Koshiji, Ikarashi, Sakazume, and Otsuka, alongside pond design, filtration, and equipment services, with inventory ranging from a few hundred dollars to show-quality fish priced up to $30,000.
Miami, FL Local pickup only $$ $$$
Miami Koi Farm is a South Florida koi dealer at 18900 SW 232nd Street in Miami that imports Japanese koi and pairs fish sales with pond design, build, and tiki-furniture services. The business emphasizes personal consultations and in-person selection rather than an online storefront, and displays Sanke, Kohaku, and Showa varieties among its stock.
Upland, CA Ships nationwide $ $$ $$$
Mystic Koi & Water Gardens is a family-owned shop in Upland, California that has operated since 1996 as, by its own description, the largest Southern California specialty retailer of imported Japanese koi and water-gardening supplies. The three-quarter-acre property carries an unusually wide range of named varieties sourced from Japanese breeders including Sekiguchi, Omosako, and Sakai Fish Farm, alongside plants, filtration, and pond-care products.
Kernersville, NC Ships nationwide $ $$
Next Day Koi is an online koi and goldfish retailer, shipping since 2006, that sources primarily from Aquamade, an Israeli breeder cooperative, rather than Japanese farms. It ships nationwide via UPS Next Day Air with a point-and-click ordering process, volume discounts, and a 14-day live arrival guarantee, though its own site does not disclose a public storefront address.
Sunbury, OH Ships nationwide $$$ show
Ohio Koi is a Sunbury, Ohio dealer founded in 2016 that raises domestic koi across eight mud ponds and 24 indoor tanks while also stocking Japanese imports. Its online catalog lists premium varieties such as Shiro Utsuri, Showa, Kikokuryu, and Kujaku in the $1,200-$8,500 range, with the company noting hundreds more fish are available to view in person by appointment. It ships nationwide alongside a broader pond-supply and specialty-goldfish business.
Bothell, WA Ships nationwide $ $$
Play It Koi is a pond supply and koi retailer based in Bothell, Washington, founded in 2014, that imports hand-selected Japanese koi from breeders including Kodama and Dainichi and ships live fish nationwide via express overnight service, alongside a full line of pond equipment and appointment-only in-person visits.
Glynn, LA Ships nationwide $$ $$$
Purdin Koi Farm has bred American-bred koi from Japanese Gosanke bloodlines since 1990 on a former plantation property in southeastern Louisiana, about 30 minutes from Baton Rouge. The farm focuses on Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa, ships koi domestically within the US with a defined live-arrival credit policy, and also welcomes farm visits and hosts judging events for the koi community.
Rocklin, CA Ships to 49 states $$ $$$
Sacramento Koi is a family-owned importer of Japanese koi based in Rocklin, California, operating since 2000. It sells hand-selected imported koi online and through a storefront, runs new arrivals through an extended in-house quarantine before sale, and also manufactures its own U.S.-made pond filtration equipment under the Sacramento Koi / Advantage brand.
Marietta, GA Local pickup only $$ $$$
Splendor Koi & Pond is a full-service koi and water-garden store in Marietta, Georgia, established in 2007, offering what it calls the largest koi selection in the Southeast alongside pond design, installation, and maintenance. Koi are sold in-store or by phone consultation rather than shipped, spanning varieties from Kohaku and Sanke to Kujaku and Goshiki.