Some Koi Facts

Water gardeners stock their ponds with many different kinds of fish. You'll see everything from catfish, to walleye, crappie, blue gill, bass, goldfish, and carp.

We even heard of one customer out in the Puget Sound area of the Pacific Northwest who built his pond and stream on the side of a long hill. Then he stocked his pond with salmon.

According to this fellow, those fish were swimming upstream to spawn all year long. He called it his salmon treadmill, and claimed to have the best-conditioned fish in all of North America.

Koi whiskers, which look a bit like mustaches on these fellows, help them to root around more efficiently in the rocks and rubble for food.

DESPITE CELEBRATING DIVERSITY...
But despite celebrating diversity~ the single most pop­ular fish in all of water gardening is the colorful and charismatic Koi. With a genealogy that's deeply imbed­ded in Japanese culture and history~ these carefully cul­tivated, carp-like condominiums from the land of the ris­ing sun, have captivated the imagination of pond own­ers worldwide. The purpose of this article then is to explore the mystique and attrac­tion that these prized possessions, these crown jewels of water gardening, have cre­ated in their admirers.

GENEALOGICAL ROOTS OF KOI...
Although Koi are considered water gardening royalty~ it's interesting to note that when you trace their genealogy back, you find that they actually have blue-collar roots. That's right - Koi are really one very fancy variety of the common carp. They're bottom feeders who are most at home rooting around, in and among the rocks and rubble found on the bottom of their natu­ral environment. As a matter of fact, the purpose of the famous Koi whiskers is to help them to root around

One other thing... as a member of the carp family, Koi are also very hardy, and naturally built to withstand the extremes that Mother Nature throws at them out in the real world. So for example, changes in pH levels, climactic and temperature extremes, or lack of artificial­ly produced (manufactured by humans) food are challenges that aren't as challenging to your Koi as some people would have you believe.

GEOGRAPHICAL ROOTS OF KOI...
As the world shrinks at the hands of economic glob­alization, East grows closer to West, Oriental bleeds off onto Occidental, and the traditions of one culture develop roots in the other culture. And the Koi phenomena is one of the best and most colorful examples of this late 20th, early 21st century transition.

As anyone can tell from their names and labels, home base, indeed the Mecca of Koi... has always been Japan. A geographically miniscule, yet heavily populat­ed island culture, Japan is steeped in a long history of precision, bordering on perfectionism. And according to numerous historical accounts, Koi breeding in Japan dates back to the 17th century in the village of Yamakoshi, located in a rice-growing region of the Niigata Prefecture, where they were originally bred as a protein to supplement the indigenous rice and vegetables of the area.

HISTORICAL ROOTS OF KOI: COMPLIMENTING A SIDE ORDER OF RICE...
You heard it right. Koi were originally bred (yes, a bad pun I know) for the frying pan - a tasty compliment to a side order of rice. But that was a long time ago and today Koi are seen in a little different light.

In another www account, Joel Burkard explains that "Nishikigoi, or Koi are recognized as the national fish of Japan. Hundreds of years ago, in the mountains of Niigata, the farmers in the village of Yamakoshi noticed a red carp swimming among the black carp that they raised to supplement their diet of rice and vegetables. Through years of selective breeding, Japanese breeders have created the hundreds of unique varieties of Koi that we see in the market today." (1)

KOI OF THE RISING SUN...
In keeping with their Japanese heritage, the Tancho Koi, which sports a large red circle on the top of its head, has been interpreted as being a symbol of the Rising Sun, the Japanese Flag, and has become a very coveted Koi, in and out of Japan.

So any way you filet the subject, Koi and Japan are connected at the hip. They go hand in hand. You can hardly talk about one without talking about the other. That's just the way it is.

As a matter of fact, breeders from the US and Israel (the two other major Koi breeding countries in the world) always procure their initial inventory from Japan in order to be able to claim a genuine Japanese foundation.

HOWEVER, MOST WATER GARDENERS...
However, most water gardeners who make up our Aquascapes' clientele aren't into "showing Koi. Most of them are nature-loving naturalists who aren't out there bidding thousands of dollars per fish so a blue heron can swoop down into an expensive meal.

On the other hand we have lots of customers who are curious about Koi, about their links to Oriental cul­tures, and how values are determined. So, for all you curious nature-loving Koi enthusiasts out there in water gardening land, here are a few insights that may make your Koi watching more interesting and more fun.

THREE GENERAL (AMERICANIZED) CATEGORIES OF KOI...
The three most general and least sophisticated cate­gories of Koi, commonly employed here in the United States include...

1.  Pond quality Koi (most common and least expensive) - 
   are purchasable from local pet shops and breeders. Pond Koi are usually locally bred, have mixed bloodlines, have no papers that distinguish them, and are not suitable for competition. They are, however; very inexpensive and can be every bit as enjoyable as ornamental or show quality Koi.  

2.  Ornamental quality Koi (2nd most common, and more expensive) -
   are a higher quality fish. Most of these "will have been bred from good quality parents, have good blood lines, good conformation, and a beautiful color." (2) The differences between orna­mental and show Koi are found in the pattern, the body conformation, the skin quality and the evenness of color. In other words, most ornamental Koi have unbalanced patterns with flaws in their skin, coloring, and shape.

3. Show quality Koi (for competitive Koi fanatics, who are willing to pay $$$) -  
   are expected to have good blood lines, good body conformation, shiny and unflawed skin, sharp edges and balance in their patterns. Experts consider bloodline to be such an important factor that they almost take for granted that show quality Koi have come from show quality parents.

Most water garden enthusiasts here in the USA stock their ponds with Koi that are of the "pond, and/or the ornamental quali­ty" of Koi. A very small percentage ('less than 1%) own or care about owning (incredibly expensive) show quality Koi.

FIVE SOPHISTICATED (JAPANESE) CATEGORIES OF KOI...
And in order to avoid sounding encyclopedic, if you're familiar with 5 basic Japanese categories of Koi, you'll cover at least 95% of the ground you're looking to cover. Actually three of the five cate­gories are collectively referred to as Gosanke (Japanese translated as three families). In the American vernacular, ifs The B~ Three'

The Big Three are comprised of Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa. And despite the last group's name, all three breeds are shown regularly in Koi shows around the world.

Kohaku...
The Kohaku is a uniquely beautiful white Koi with red markings. And like fingerprints, no two are ever alike. There are various sub-categories of Kohaku, which basically refer to various types of red on white pattern. But when you're talking Koi, the Kohaku is inevitably numero uno.

One of the primary concerns in valuing any Koi, including the Kohaku, is the intensity of their color, and the degree of contrast - in this case red vs. white. The more clear cut and stark the contrast, the more valu­able the Kohaku is deemed to be. In fact, there's even a Japanese name for the crispness of the pattern's edge. Ifs called "kiwa."

Sanke...
Back in the early 1900's, a new variety of Koi emerged. It added some unique black markings to the red and white of the Kohaku. This new breed was called the Sanke or Sanshoku. This category constitutes the second of the "three families."

Showa...
Then in the 1930's, a third new breed was developed and introduced into the market. It featured red and white markings contrasted against a jet-black base. The new breed was known as Showa. And in keeping with tradition, its color intensity, clarity, and crispness of pattern, all play major roles in the valuation of this new breed as well. And showa represents the third member of the Gosanke - The Big Three.

Hikarimujil Anyone?
The fourth category is the most popular in America. It's known as Hikarimujil or "light without pattern." The light part of the name refers to a bright, metallic sheen that characterizes this category of Koi. They are also singular in color, which is to say; they're "without pat­tern". Hikarimujil can be jet-black (like Zorro, Darth Vader; or Batman), green (like the Incredible Hulk or the Jolly Green Giant), red, yellow, blue, or gold. But they always lack a pattern, and have only one color, which renders them unique among Koi.

And the Kawarigoi...
The final category is known as the Kawarigoi, which translated means “changing”, or "different" Koi. According to Burkard, "Into this category fall all the vari­eties both named and unnamed that either have unstable characteristics, or do not fill into any other recognized category.' (3)

As you may well imagine, Kawarigoi contains literally hundreds of different examples and provides an all-inclu­sive category for anything new that might come along." (4) Banging from spectacular to bizarre, in America we might refer to the Kawarigoi as Koi mutts. But actual champions have come from this category as well.

SIZE, SHAPE, & COLOR COUNT WHEN TALKING KOI $$$ VALUE...
In the land of Koi, size counts. As a matter of fact, the single most important factor in valuing a Koi is his sire. Very much like a Sumo Wrestler, the bigger the Koi, the more valuable the Koi. When buying baby Koi, it's common to look for the ones with the biggest heads, speculating that a big head eventually begets a big body.

Conformation, or body shape plays a significant role as well. The most valuable shape is usually best described as "torpedo-like." As a matter of fact, if you find a Koi that looks as if it could be shot out of a WWII submarine, grab it quick. It's a winner.

And finally, skin quality, color Intensity and Clarity play a very important role in its evaluation as well. When evaluating Koi, experts will check very closely in order to spot any blemishes or flaws in the skin of the fish ~ they'll also consider the intensity, balance, and clarity of the color pattern. Of course the more intense, balanced, and clear the colors, the higher the value of the Koi becomes.

MULTI-LINGUAL REQUIREMENTS?
The question you may ask after reading all this is, do I need to learn to speak Japanese in order to get along in the land of Koi?" And the answer is much the same as the person who asks 'do I have to learn Latin in order to talk about aquatic plants?" In both cases the answer is no. I mean obviously, it won't hurt. But you don't have to be multilingual in order to get along in either case. After all, that's why there's Cliff Notes!

NOW LET'S SUMMARIZE OUR CLIFF NOTES ON KOI...
If we were to throw all this into a brief summary here's what you'd have.

Genealogically speaking, Koi are hardy, bottom feeding, fancy looking, carp.

• Geographically speaking Japan has always been the Mecca of Koi. 

•  They were initially raised as a source of protein to compliment the staple, rice.  

•  They are the national fish of Japan.  

•  Most water gardeners are not Koi fanatics, but they are curious about their Koi.  

• The 3 most common categories of Koi are pond, orna­mental, and show quality.  

•  Most water gardeners are happy and satisfied with pond quality Koi.

•  Koi values depend on size, shape, skin quality, color clarity balance and intensity.

• The 5 most important Japanese categories of Koi include the Kohaku, Sanke, Showa, Hikarimujil, and the Kawarigoi.  

If you have questions that haven't been answered in these Cliff Notes, you can:

• Check out the Internet.  

• Find plenty of good books on Koi in your local library.  

•  Check out your closest bookstore. (There’s plenty there, too.)  

• ASK AN EXPERT!  

1.  Burkard. Pan Intercorp, www.members.aa.net/~koi/unique/strokes.html, page 1.

2.  Gratn Fujita, www.akca.org/library/tategoi3.htm, page 1.

3. J. Burkard, Pan Intercorp, www.members.aa.net/~koi/unique/strokes.html, page 3.

4. J. Burkard, Pan Intercorp, www.members.aa.net/~koi/unique/strokes.html, page 3.