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Facts About Koi Fish Colors

In the beginning there was the ancient Carp, the Magoi, dark and uninteresting, a vital link of the food chain in China, however destined to be the forerunner of the magnificent "Living Jewels" we enjoy nowadays.

 Fast forward to the early 20th century, where the color potential of these fish was discovered by the Japanese, more by accident than by design, and manipulated into the exquisite specimens nowadays recognized as Nishikigoi - literally meaning "Brocaded Koi".

 Bred for their artistic splendor, modern day Koi come in a multitude of colors, patterns and varying degrees of brilliance, making them breathtaking additions to the home garden fishpond. Well treasured for their ability to instill calm and inspire a sense of inner peace, Koi are also much loved for their plentiful and diverse personalities. Not being particularly shy, they are normally very happy to be hand fed and will readily rise to the surface to greet you once they settle in.

 The always increasing range of Koi colors was once restricted to Red, Black, White, Orange and Yellow, but now includes shades of Indigo, Blue, Grey, Green and Cream.

 For a beginner to entirely appreciate Koi, one must begin with a basic awareness of the Japanese nomenclature for describing the traits of color, markings, shape, scalation and brilliance.

 This can be a bit over-whelming to start with but it's not long before the method behind the naming becomes easily comprehensible.

 Starting with colors, it's always important to note that there are often two or more Japanese words for the same color, simply because one relates to a base skin color and the other to the colored markings on top. For instance, the Japanese word for "Red" can be "Hi" indicating the red markings on top of a different color, or it can be "Aka" meaning the continuous red base skin color. The classification name results from the combination of the appropriate descriptors.

 Vocabulary of Japanese Identification Words:

 Ai - Blue or Indigo color

Aigoromo - Blue or indigo colored Goromo Koi

Ai Showa - Blue or indigo colored Showa Koi

Aka - Red - pertaining only to the base color of the fish

Asagi - Blue pertaining to koi with a bluish body and red markings on the underside, pectoral fins and cheeks

Bekko - Solid base color of red (aka), yellow (ki) or white(shiro) with black markings (sumi)

Beni - Dark red color

Budo - Grape color

Cha - Brown color

Chagoi - Brown variety of Koi noted for its splendid growth

Doitsu - German carp - either scale-less referred to as Leather Carp; or having a line of large scales along the lateral and dorsal lines referred to as Mirror Carp

Fukurin - Area around the scales of a metallic koi that displays more luster than the other areas

Gin - Silver (white metallic)

GinRin - Pearl-silver reflective scales

Goke - A fish scale

Gosanke - Group of three major varieties of koi - Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa

Goshiki - Japanese meaning "five colors." Refers to a koi with a white base color, a black and blue appearance, overlaid with red markings

Gotensakura - Kohaku variety of koi with an abundance of red spots

Hageshiro - Mostly all-black with head and snout patched with white or brown

Hagoroma - Particular variety of Aigorormo

Hajiro - Mostly all-black with tail and fins edged in white

Hariwake - White, metallic koi with gold or yellow markings

Hi - Red - pertaining only to the colored patches of the fish

Hikari - Shiny or metallic

Hikari Moyo - Metallic with platinum and either red or yellow

Hikari Utsuri - Tri-colored metallic koi with black markings - metallic versions of Showa and Utsuri

Hikari Muji - Single colored metallic koi including Ogon and Matsuba

Inazuma - "Lightning" pattern most associated with Kohaku variety

Kabuto - Japanese meaning "helmet." Refers to Koi with head color different to body color

Karas - Japanese meaning "Crow" - old variety with black fins and jet black body

Kawarimono - Term applied to Koi that cannot be classified into standard types

Ki - Yellow - relating only to the base color of the fish

Kin - Gold (yellow metallic)

Kin Rin - Pearl-gold reflective scales

Kiwa - Edge of a patch or marking

Kuchibeni - Lipstick

Matsuba - Term for scales with a pine cone or net pattern

Midori - Green color

Mono - Type

Moyo - Type of pattern

Muji - Single color

Nezu - Gray color

Orenji - Orange color

Rin - Shiny Scale

Shiro - White - relating only to the base color of the fish

Sumi - Black - pertaining only to the colored patches of the fish

Tancho - Single strong red spot on the head only

Yamabuki - Pale yellow form of the Ogon metallic koi

 Interesting Facts About Koi Colors

With "Color" being high on the list of favorite attributes, it is important to examine the quality of a Koi's color when making a selection. Not only is the vibrancy of color an aesthetic choice, more importantly it's an indicator of the Koi's state of health. I the red or orange is anything but brilliant, if the black is dull, or if the white is not "snow" white, then this possibly will indicate poor health. This can be a result of poor diet or poor water quality.

 Some varieties of Koi in fact change color as a consequence of temperature changes instead of poor health. Matsukawabake is one such breed.

 Koi Color can in fact be improved via dietary supplements. Foods with high concentrations of carotenoid pigments are very beneficial and food supplements such as Spirulina (a green algae), Shrimp, plankton, daphnia and marigold are ideal. Carotene affects the red pigmentation, but if used in excess, can ruin the Koi's colors.

 From time to time a Koi's colors may be less than splendid purely because it hasn't yet reached its full potential. Young koi will frequently look a little dull throughout their early development as the initial focus is on the perfection of the body shape and form instead of the improvement of color. At a specific point in their maturity, the colors will start to develop more vibrancy.

 Koi colors can also be enhanced by providing good quality living conditions. Waters abundant in green phytoplankton can help develop strong yellow and red colors. Black coloring may be enriched in hard water with a pH level of 7.5-8.5. Take care however - changing the pH and hardness of the water can produce toxic levels of ammonia and nitrite.

About the Author

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喜多郎Kitaro - Koi from Daylight, Moonlight - Live in Yakushiji DVD 2001

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