Koi Origins They are believed to have originated from Eastern Asia, Aral, Black and Caspian Seas. Earliest records of Koi have been found in China and have been widely spread in Korea and Japan. The ornamental cultivation of carp flourished under the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Korean Silla Dynasty, and Japanese Edo Period. They are very closely related to goldfish and, in fact, the style of breeding and ornamentation has become very similar, probably through the efforts of Japanese breeders to emulate goldfish. Koi History While a 4th century Chinese book of the Western Jin Dynasty mentions carp with various colors, koi breeding first became popular in the 19th century in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. Farmers working the rice fields would notice that some carp were more brightly colored than others, capture them, and raise them. 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. 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. Koi varieties are distinguished by coloration, patterning, and scalation. Ghost koi, developed in the 1980s are metallic hybrids of wild carp and Ogon koi and are not considered true Nishikigoi. Butterfly koi, Longfin koi, or Dragon Carp were also developed in the 1980s and are notable for their long and flowing fins. They are actually hybrids with Asian carp and, like Ghost koi, are not considered true Nishikigoi. Varieties Koi have many different colors. Some of the major colors are white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream. While possible variations are limitless, breeders have identified and named a number of specific categories. The most popular category is Gosanke. The Gosanke category is made up of the Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku, and Showa Sanshoku varieties. The Japanese breeders have many generations of knowledge and experience when it comes to breeding and raising Nishikigoi. They know which ones will be worth hundreds of dollars and which ones will be worth thousands of dollars. The major named varieties include: Kohaku - a white-skinned Koi, with a red pattern Taisho Sanshoku (Sanke) - a white-skinned Koi with a red and black pattern Showa Sanshoku (Showa) - a black-skinned Koi with a red and white pattern Tancho - Any koi with the only red being in a circle on its forehead. The fish can be a Tancho Showa, Tancho Sanke, or even Tancho Goshiki Asagi - a Koi with light blue scales on its top and red scales on its bottom Shusui - the partially scaled version of an Asagi Bekko - a white, red, or yellow-skinned Koi with a black pattern Utsurimono - a black Koi with a red, white, or yellow pattern Goshiki - a mostly black Koi with red, white, brown, and blue accents Ogon - a Koi that is one solid color, can be regular or metallic; known colors - red, orange, platinum, yellow and cream Kin Gin Rin - a Koi with shiny scales. The name translates into English as "Gold Silver Scales" There are also Gin Rin versions of almost any other type of koi. Kawarimono (kawarigoi) - Miscellaneous types of Koi Doitsu-goi - German Carp Koromo - Koi with areas of blue-edged scales aligned neatly Hikari-Moyomono - Koi with coloured patterns over a metallic base, and koi in two metallic colours Ghost koi - "Hybrid" of Ogon and wild carp. Not Nishikigoi. Butterfly koi - Long-finned version of all others. Not Nishikigoi. Data from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koi