Koi Carp

The word "koi" comes from Japanese, simply meaning "carp." It includes both the dull grey fish and the brightly coloured varieties.

Although it is generally accepted that Koi did not originate from Japan, Koi history and origins, and the time of their introduction is still heavily debated by Koi historians.

Different sources say that they came from parts of Eastern Europe, Eastern Asia and China, some 2,500 years ago.

There is the common black carp (cyprinus carpio) that indeed came from China. In fact, carp fossils have been discovered in South China dating back about 20 million years.

Koi as those that are popular known as today, descended from these original black carp from China, but became the products of Japanese special breeding methods.

In the 17th century, Chinese rice farmers cultivated these carp in small fish farms, simply as fish food by. When brought to the Niigata Prefecture, Japans premier rice-growing region, rice farmers there continued the practice of keeping Koi as a food source, especially during winter when fresh green vegetables became scarce

But somewhere between the 1820s and 1830s, they began to notice that some carp had produced amazing colours and markings on their bodies.

While there may have been natural mutations of carp that featured patches of colour on them in China, the Japanese are generally recognized as the first to take the naturally occurring mutations
and develop them further.

A selected few were brought to ponds near the farmers houses, where they began to breed some of the fish for aesthetic appeal. This could possibly be the beginning of the Koi as a form of pond decoration.

Koi that exhibited desirable colours, patterns and body shapes were chosen and paired with other top quality Koi to produce better ones

These modifications to the external properties of Koi to make them more appealing to the eye, have, in a way, affected their physiology; but inside they are basically still the same carp, with similar traits as that of their hardier ancestors.

The basic colours of the Koi fish are red, yellow and white, but as the fish were bred with other types of carp and other Goldfish, the end results are a variety of colours.

The Japanese word Sanke means tri-coloured and was first shown at a Tokyo exhibition in 1915; but was believed to be 15 years old at the time, giving way to the belief that it may have been developed towards the end of the previous era.

It was also during this exposition that some of the most beautiful varieties were shown and presented to Crown Prince Hirohito, an event that is said to have started the Koi craze all over the world

It was during this time that Koi keeping became a national hobby and a profitable business venture as well. From being a hobby, Koi raising became a full time career for many enthusiasts

Although Koi is simply a carp, modern specimens are products of selective breeding over many generations. By the 20th century, a number of colour patterns had been established,

To date, Koi is considered to be the most expensive ornamental fish in existence. They have been kept as pets, swimming in mostly landscaped ponds and large aquariums.