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.