FASCINATING A koi is a freshwater fish of the cyprinidae family and belongs to the actinopterygii class of animals. Koi fish are descendants of the hardy carp and can be found all around the world. Goldfish and koi fish are distant cousins, as they are both descended from the carp. The word koi comes from Japanese, meaning “carp“.
Koi fish were developed by farmers who noticed the bright colour patches on carp, and bred them to get the beautiful appearance of the species we have today, via selective breeding. Koi fish were originally brought to Japan as a food source.
Koi fish domestication began around the 19th century in Japan, and they were then kept as pets, instead of food.
THE KOI FISH’S POPULARITY IS INCREASING DAILY DUE TO ITS GORGEOUS COLOUR PATTERNS, AND THAT THEY ARE EASY TO CARE FOR.
THERE ARE MORE THAN 100 VARIETIES OF KOI CREATED THROUGH BREEDING, AND EACH VARIETY IS CLASSIFIED INTO 16 GROUPS, ACCORDING TO ZEN NIPPON AIRINKAI (A GROUP THAT LEADS THE BREEDING AND DISSEMINATION OF KOI IN JAPAN).
The most popular koi fish colours include white, cream, blue, black, yellow and red.
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The koi is a pretty large fish, the size of the fish depending on the environment the koi is raised in; diet, genetics and appropriate water temperatures. An average koi can grow from between 60-91 cm in length. Koi fish can weigh an average of anything between 13-15 kg. The largest koi fish ever recorded weighed in at a whopping 40.8 kg and was 1.2 meters long. Koi fish are gentle and will typically not act aggressively towards humans. A koi fish may nibble your finger, which will feel more like pressure than a painful bite. Female koi are more playful and have great personalities and lots of body movement compared to males, according to some studies. Male and female species of koi are simply called male koi fish and female koi fish. KOI FISH ENJOY HAVING OTHER KOI FISH AROUND AND ARE VERY SOCIAL. Koi fish use sounds, vibrations, impulses, motion and various smells to communicate with each other.
KOI HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BULLY OTHER TYPES OF FISH, OR NON-KOI FISH, IN A POND. Koi fish don’t tolerate drastic or rapid changes in temperature and prefer water temperature that range from 15°C to 25°C. Koi fish are sensitive to the sun and may even get sunburnt if there’s not enough shadow in the pond. IN WINTER TIMES, KOI GO INTO A SORT OF DORMANCY, USING LESS OXYGEN AND SETTLING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POND WHERE THE WATER IS WARMER.
MARCH 2022 | PETPRINTS
