Koi

The Koi is a domesticated and selectively bred from of a wild Asian carp, Cyprinus carpio. The name "Koi" actually means carp in Japanese and still refers to the wild Cyprinus carpio. In Japan, the domesticated form of Cyprinus carpio is called Nishikigoi. Somehow, the word Koi made its way into English instead of the more correct name Nishikigoi, and in English speaking countries the word Koi is today only used for domesticated Cyprinus carpio.

Koi fish breeding is believed to have started at some point during the 19^th century. It was most likely a way for Japanese breeders to try and repeat what the Chinese breeders had done when the goldfish was created from wild carp. Chinese goldfish was highly popular in Japan during this period. The Niigata Prefecture on the Honshu Island is the traditional centre for Koi breeding, since it was here that extraordinarily colourful wild carps were collected in the rice fields to provide a genetic base for Koi breeding. In the wild, carps affected by these naturally occurring colour mutations were always rapidly consumed by predators since their coloration offered no camouflage, but when they were brought to protected ponds they could thrive and multiply. By the 20^th century, dedicated Koi breeders had managed to establish a wide range of different colour patterns in their Koi. One of the most popular colour variations of today - the so called Kohaku coloration - can trace its history back to these early years of Koi breeding. A Kohaku Koi will display a red and white colour pattern.

A very important step in the history of Koi took place in 1914, when Koi fish were displayed at the annual exposition in Tokyo. After this exposition, Koi became highly sought after in the entire country and considered very fashionable among the Japanese. Its popularity was increased even further when crown prince Hirohito began keeping Koi that he had received as a gift. When the plastic bag was invented, it made it possible to transport live fish long distances and pond keepers could import Koi fish from Japan to their own countries. Faster ships and the boom in aircraft transportation were also contributing factors that helped spread the Koi worldwide, and now Koi are bred and exported from many countries, including the UK.

Koi are greedy feeders and can produce a lot of waste. In the right conditions and on a proper diet of Koi food they can grow to nearly a meter in length. They are very popular fish for large (1000ltr or more) outdoor ponds, but are not recommended for indoor aquariums as the higher temperatures found indoors mean they will grow too fast and pollute the aquarium water.

Most Koi keepers will have a high quality pump and filter system running on their pond to break down the large amount of waste created by the fish. Koi are destructive to most pond plants, and so submerged plants are normally avoided in Koi ponds.

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