What is Koi - History, Facts and Features
Koi is a type of freshwater fish that comes from the carp family. The word ‘koi’ means ‘domesticated carp’ in Japanese. The koi fish is the most beautiful and expensive ornamental fish. Through centuries of selective breeding, koi have developed the most amazing colors and come in many varieties. The most beautiful and purebred ones are found in Japan and are known as nishikigoi which is Japanese for colored or brocaded carp.
Koi the domestic carp
The carp was traditionally a food fish bred by farmers and the working class in many countries including Japan and China. Naturally, they were bred by their owners and over the years the carp started to develop colors on their bodies. Since this made the carp more beautiful, the farmers bred more of the colored ones together. More and more varieties of colors and patterns emerged and eventually, the carp became known as koi. The beautiful colored koi was no longer kept as a food source but as ornamental pets while the other plain carp continued to feature in the diet of the farmers.
I have written more extensively about the history of koi in my FREE report, ‘All About Koi - History, Anatomy and Physiology’ which you can get with my ebook, ‘What Your Pet Shop Owner Won’t Tell You About Keeping Koi.’
Koi can live longer than most other fish. The average lifespan of koi is about 50 years. Because of its long lifespan, the koi can grow to be quite big depending on its diet, water conditions and living space. The larger the pond it lives in, the bigger it can grow. A koi is considered large if it exceeds 32 inches in length. Females are a bit bigger than males, which is why females are usually featured as show fish in koi competitions.
The koi varieties are dependent upon its color. For example, the kohaku is the red and white koi, the goshiki is orange and white while kigoi is plain yellow and kumonryu is the black koi. Certain varieties of koi can even change color. The high quality koi have colors that are deep and clearly defined. This makes it more valuable. A plain-looking koi can easily sell for about $15 while the high quality ones fetch thousands of dollars. Every year, there are many koi competitions worldwide to determine the most beautiful koi.
Today, koi keeping has become a very popular hobby not only because of the beauty and color of the fishes but also the calming effect you get when watching these magnificent koi swimming gracefully in your own koi pond.
