The Koi fish (Cyprinus rubrofuscus “koi”) is an omnivorous fish that belongs to the Animalia family, phylum Chordata, class Actinopterygii, order Cypriniformes, and family Cyprinidae. Its genus is Cyprinus.
The koi fish range in size from up to 39 inches in length, and weigh up to 35 pounds, with a lifetime of 25 to 200 years. Koi fish are freshwater fish that eat aquatic insects and their larvae, crustaceans, worms, and their own young.
Koi fish are preyed upon by wading birds such as herons, and small mammalian carnivores. Its beauty is a distinguishing characteristic.
Physical characteristics include grey, yellow, red, black, white, green, orange, and silver colours, with scales on the skin.
“The Brocaded Carp” is the name of the Koi. Since at least the 19th century, elegant koi have enchanted humans and enlivened their pools. People with a lot of money aren’t afraid to pay a lot of money for a champion fish with a noble pedigree.
There are at least 16 different varieties of koi, each with its distinctive colour pattern. Furthermore, each koi variation has its own symbolic significance, ranging from fortune to good luck to love and friendship.
Continue reading to learn more about these amazing creatures.
5 Incredible Koi Fish Facts!
1. In the nineteenth century, Japanese rice growers began cultivating koi for their gorgeous hues.
2. Depending on the colour of the koi, it has a distinct significance. The Ogon koi, for example, is a sign of riches and a successful company because of its glittering silver scales.
3. Goldfish and koi are both related to the carp, a fish that prefers to live in bodies of water with a muddy bottom. Although koi grow quicker than goldfish, the two can interbreed. Their offspring, however, is infertile.
4. Hanako, a lovely scarlet koi, was the longest-living koi. People would have known she was 226 years old since the rings on her scales reflected her growth rate.
5. Cool water with a pH of 7.0 to 8.5 is ideal for koi fish. Water with a pH of less than 7.0 or more than 8.5 might kill or sicken the fish.
Koi Fish Classification and Scientific Name
The koi fish’s scientific term is Cyprinus rubrofuscus “koi.” Cyprinus is a combination of the Greek kyprnos, which means “carp,” and the Latin rubrofuscus, which describes the animal’s colour and translates to “reddish dark brown.”As a result, the fish is known as a “reddish dark brown carp, koi variant.”
Koi Fish Appearance
A torpedo-shaped and symmetrical koi fish should have no faults in its structure. It should be fat but not obese, and the paired fins should be of similar size and form. The koi, like all carp, has no teeth but does have a terminal mouth at the end of its head.
The fish’s mouth is inferior, which means it opens downward, because it is mostly a bottom eater. Barbs can be detected around the mouth’s borders, indicating the koi’s carp origin.
The colours of all species of koi fish should be vibrant and saturated, with white and silver scales that glitter. The world’s most valuable koi fish sold for $1.8 million. S Legend was a nine-year-old female red and white koi fish whose owner waited until she was nine years old to sell her.
The S Legend stood at 3 feet, 3 inches tall. Her ancestry, as well as her beautiful form and dazzling, evenly dispersed red and white coloration, made her a cherished possession. It was indeed a Kohaku koi variant.
One of the earliest koi kinds, Kohaku merely means “red and white” in Japanese. She was sold to a strange Taiwanese woman named Miss Yingying.
Koi Fish Distribution, Population, and Habitat
Koi fish are kept in water gardens all over the world. They may also be found in zoos like the San Diego Zoo, Japanese gardens like the one at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and garden centres.
Koi Fish Predators and Prey
Ironically, koi fish’s dazzling colour makes them easy prey for predators looking to consume them. Wading birds like egrets, storks, and herons, as well as small carnivores like raccoons, foxes, and cats, are among them. This is why it’s critical for koi owners to keep their ponds deep enough for wading birds to stand in.
The habitat of the fish should not feature overhangs that a predator may utilise to reach in and capture a fish, such as a low bridge. It should be tinted as well. This not only protects the fish from predators such as birds of prey and other fish, but it also prevents the koi from sunburn.
The distribution of koi as an ornamental breed is most presumably in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. It is currently grown all across the globe.
Koi Fish Reproduction and Lifespan
The lifespan of a koi fish may be quite long. They have a lifespan of more than two centuries, although they all began as tiny eggs. In the spring, koi spawn. Males begin pursuing females around the pond, bumping them when they catch up to them.
Her eggs, which could also number in the thousands, are released as a result of this. After that, he fertilises them. The eggs will normally settle at the bottom of the pond, but they will adhere to everything they come into contact with.
Tragically, around one-fifth of the eggs perish or are never fertilised. After four or five days, the lucky ones hatch, but roughly a fifth of the juvenile fish die before they reach an inch in length.
Adults have been known to devour them. At this time, breeders begin selecting the fish, keeping only those that appear to be promising. The koi grows quickly and may be ready to reproduce by the time it is three to five years old.
Koi Fish in Fishing and Cooking
Koi fish are prized pets that are never caught, cooked, or eaten. Some survive for such a long time that they become family heirlooms. However, the Amur carp, the fish’s progenitor, was bred for food.
When genetic abnormalities led certain carp to grow patches of colour on their scales, the fish began to be bred for decorative purposes.
