Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: The Diversity of Koi Fish

The Japanese began breeding Koi Fish back in the
1820's. Begun from mutations of carp they came
in just one or two color varieties. As the
popularity of the Koi increased the variety of
colors and patterns exploded. They now come in a
wide assortments of colors and patterns
including, red, green, yellow, blue, black and of
course White Koi.

In order to easily recognize the different
varieties of Koi Fish you will need a basic
understanding of the classifications the various
Koi are divided into. While each variety has its
own standards a certain amount of variation is
acceptable. A couple stand out as the most
popular varieties. Kahaku Koi is one of the most
popular varieties. Hikarimono or Ogon Koi is
another popular variety.

In the term Hikarimono the "Hikari" means
metallic and the "Mono" simply means single
color. So these Koi Fish are all one color but
with a metallic appearance. They usually appear
as Yamabuki Ogon or yellow and in white or
silver and referred to as Platinum Ogon.
Regardless of the color or the variety they
should be the same shade of color from the head
to the tips of their fins. In order to offset the
plain color they have been bred to have larger
fins for a better display.

Unique and popular in the world of Koi are the
White Koi or Platinum Ogon, whose bodies appear
to shine like the luster of precious metal.
First appearing in 1963, these unique and
glamourous Koi Fish were probably crossed with
the Kigoi or graysh-silver Nezu(from the Japanese
word "rat" or nezumi) Ogon. These have become
very popular because they are easily cared for,
are hardy and grow very rapidly. Standing out and
easily seen in murky water they are the perfect
choice for poorly filtered ponds. Nezu, Orenji
and the Fuji Koi are other varieties of the Ogon
Koi.

Most of the Platinum Ogon Koi are bred with what
is known as Ginrin scales. The Ginrin scales
make them appear even shinier, and are very
different than the scales seen on the metallic or
"Hikarimono". The regular scales have somewhat
of a sheen on them and the Ginrin scales have a
highly refective sheen over all or part of the
scale. This creates a shimmering effect much like
cut diamonds. In order to qualify as Ginrin they
should have more of these scales than one can
count as it swims past an onlooker. The
accepted minimum is about 20 scales.

The huge variety of patterns and colors is the
key factor for Koi enthusiasts to fill their
ponds with Koi Fish. Viewing directly from the
top is the best way to see the Koi in all their
splendor. The top side of the Koi contain most
of the color pigment. Koi are always viewed from
the top and in round pools in events in Asia.

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Mark Justice is a long time Koi Fish enthusiast.
For more great tips on White Koi, visit
http://www.raisingkoifish.com

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