Koi

Koi (鯉 Koi) are ornamental domesticated varieties of the common carp Cyprinus carpio.

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If a person travels to Japan and tells his or her friends that he or she loves Koi, their friends might invite that person to eat the dull gray fish that inhabits the waters of the islands: In Japanese, the word Koi simply means carp (incidentally, the word "koi" can also mean "love"). If a person tells a group of people that he or she appreciates Nishikigoi (錦鯉: "brocaded carp"), the group may lead the person and their camera to the pond in the garden. This article is about Nishikigoi, and uses the English word Koi to refer to the colorful fish.

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While a Chinese book of the Western Jin Dynasty (4th century) mentions carp with various colors, Koi breeding is generally thought to have begun during the 19th century in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. Farmers working the rice fields would notice that some carp would be more brightly colored than others, capture them, and raise them (when normally the brighter colors would doom the fish to be more likely eaten by birds and other predators). By the 20th century, a number of color patterns had been established, most notably the red-and-white Kohaku. The outside world did not become aware of the degree of development until 1914, when the Niigata Koi were exhibited in the annual exposition in Tokyo. Some of them were also presented to Crown Prince Hirohito. At that point, interest in Koi exploded throughout Japan. The Hobby of keeping Koi spread worldwide after plastic bags and shipping of Koi became both fast and safe for the fish. These factors enabled Koi to be shipped worldwide with low mortality rates. Koi are now commonly sold in most pet stores, with higher-quality fish available from specialist dealers.

Related Topics:
Chinese - Western Jin Dynasty - 4th century - 19th century - Niigata prefecture - Japan - Rice - 20th century - 1914 - Tokyo - Hirohito

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Koi varieties are distinguished by coloration, patterning, and scalation. Butterfly Koi, developed in the 1980s and notable for their long and flowing fins, are actually hybrids with Asian carp, and not considered true Koi.

Related Topics:
1980s - Hybrid - Asian carp

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