The history of Koi is the history of the World. 1/2
Posted 02-19-2008 at 05:27 PM by SoCalSun
THE HISTORY OF NISHIKIGOI
By Chuck Jones
KOI WORLD AND WATERGARDENS 1998-99
It’s hard to believe that the common carp has been developed in to arguably the most expensive ornament fish in the world the koi. There are koi valued at $150,000, $250,000, there's even one valued at $1.2 million. Yes, it’s truly remarkable that the lowly carp has transformed into some of the most beautiful living art treasures in the world.
Koi are descendants of the common carp, Cyprinus Carpio. Thou originally native to Eastern Europe and Persia, Carp were introduced to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and other areas of the world as a commodity in trade or to serve as food for people who were engaged in the business of settling new areas, as was the case when carp were brought to the "New World."
According to "Manual to Nishikigoi," a book by Dr. Takeo Kuroki, the word "koi" was first used about 2,500 years ago in China. Confucius' son, born in 533 B.C., was presented a fish by King Shoko of Ro. The fish was named "Koi." Subsequently, carp were used as the main subject in Chinese artwork and carvings and some Chinese rulers kept carp in captivity for their viewing pleasure.
While there may have been natural mutations of carp which featured patches of color on them in China, the Japanese are generally recognized as the creators of Nishikigoi (LivingJewels). The Japanese werethefirst to take the naturally occurring mutations and develop them further. Japanese rice farmers kept them as food fish but somewhere between the 1820s and 1830s, they began to breed some of the carp for aesthetic appeal.
The farmers kept the colorful carp as pets for themselves. As the farmers developed different color types of koi, interest in koi spread throughout the prefecture (similar to a state in the United States) and then throughout Japan. National interest for koi in Japan increased tremendously when Emperor Hirohito was presented koi for the Imperial Palace moat in 1914.
Most people involved in the hobby consider the Niigata prefecture in Japan as the birthplace from which the Nishikigoi sprang. More specifically, areas in and around Ojiya City in Niigata are regarded as the home of Nishikigoi, and today there are more than 100 different color types and sub-types of koi.
Wild carp were called "Koi" in Japan, but the term was also used to describe colored carp. The name Nishikigoi was given to these "colored koi carp" during World War 11.
Today colored carp are simply called koi and the term has evolved into the common name for them worldwide.
The term Nishikigoi is used as a sort of given, or formal, name. Nishikigoi is used to describe them in written text or describing the fish formally to Japanese people who do not have working knowledge of the fish. Many people in Japan recognize the term Nishikigoi but may not be familiar with the term koi.
So how did the koi farmers take common carp and create the beautiful colored koi carp we now recognize? They simply used three naturally occurring original color mutations of wild carp, crossing them to further develop the varieties of koi that exist today.
It can take 15 to 20 years for a koi Breeder to produce one fish representative of a new type of koi. Even after that one fish is produced, it may be years before the farmer is able to stabilize and improve the new type of koi from a reproductive standpoint. When they finally are considered to be breeding "true," generally no more than 50 percent of the offspring are the desired new type. Then of the total hatch that did breed true, only two to five percent are generally of acceptable quality to sell to the master koi farmers in Japan.
Today, the Japanese term for a wild carp is Magoi. The three naturally occurring color mutations of the wild carp are Tetsu (Iron Magoi), Doro (Mud Magoi), and Asagi (Asagi Magoi).
The skin tone of the Tetsu is close to the black on Showas. Showas are black fish with red and white patterns. Some believe the Showa developed from the Testu because of their similar black coloring. The Showa variety is a fairly recent development in the koi world. It was first produced in 1927.
The Doro has a light browntone to its skin and may have been a mutation from Tetsu. It is speculated that Chagoi (brown koi) and Ogon (metallic koi) may have been created by mating Tetsu (iron) Magoi, Doro (mud) Magoi and Doitsugoi (German scaled Carp). Doitsugoi were brought to Japan from Europe to be used as food carp around 100 years ago.
The modern Asagi has a dark blue and light blue reticulated pattern to its scales and is a direct descendant of the Asagi
Magoi. Asagi are considered to be one of the original Nishikigoi types. Asagi Magoi and then Asagi led to the development of a number of different types of koi. Including: Kohaku (white koi with red pattern); Taisho Sanshoku or Sanke (white koi with red and black pattern); Koromo or Goromo (white koi with red pattern with gray, black, blue or purple reticulation to scales in the red pattern) and Shiro Bekko (white koi with black pattern).
The Asagi Magoi are also responsible for the development of a family tree that included Ki-Matsuba (yellow koi with black reticulation on its scales) and Aka Matsuba (orange koi with black reticulation to its scales). In Japan, many highlights in history are dated and described according to the reign of a particular Emperor. These "eras" in history are also used to date and signify the history of koi development.
By Chuck Jones
KOI WORLD AND WATERGARDENS 1998-99
It’s hard to believe that the common carp has been developed in to arguably the most expensive ornament fish in the world the koi. There are koi valued at $150,000, $250,000, there's even one valued at $1.2 million. Yes, it’s truly remarkable that the lowly carp has transformed into some of the most beautiful living art treasures in the world.
Koi are descendants of the common carp, Cyprinus Carpio. Thou originally native to Eastern Europe and Persia, Carp were introduced to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and other areas of the world as a commodity in trade or to serve as food for people who were engaged in the business of settling new areas, as was the case when carp were brought to the "New World."
According to "Manual to Nishikigoi," a book by Dr. Takeo Kuroki, the word "koi" was first used about 2,500 years ago in China. Confucius' son, born in 533 B.C., was presented a fish by King Shoko of Ro. The fish was named "Koi." Subsequently, carp were used as the main subject in Chinese artwork and carvings and some Chinese rulers kept carp in captivity for their viewing pleasure.
While there may have been natural mutations of carp which featured patches of color on them in China, the Japanese are generally recognized as the creators of Nishikigoi (LivingJewels). The Japanese werethefirst to take the naturally occurring mutations and develop them further. Japanese rice farmers kept them as food fish but somewhere between the 1820s and 1830s, they began to breed some of the carp for aesthetic appeal.
The farmers kept the colorful carp as pets for themselves. As the farmers developed different color types of koi, interest in koi spread throughout the prefecture (similar to a state in the United States) and then throughout Japan. National interest for koi in Japan increased tremendously when Emperor Hirohito was presented koi for the Imperial Palace moat in 1914.
Most people involved in the hobby consider the Niigata prefecture in Japan as the birthplace from which the Nishikigoi sprang. More specifically, areas in and around Ojiya City in Niigata are regarded as the home of Nishikigoi, and today there are more than 100 different color types and sub-types of koi.
Wild carp were called "Koi" in Japan, but the term was also used to describe colored carp. The name Nishikigoi was given to these "colored koi carp" during World War 11.
Today colored carp are simply called koi and the term has evolved into the common name for them worldwide.
The term Nishikigoi is used as a sort of given, or formal, name. Nishikigoi is used to describe them in written text or describing the fish formally to Japanese people who do not have working knowledge of the fish. Many people in Japan recognize the term Nishikigoi but may not be familiar with the term koi.
So how did the koi farmers take common carp and create the beautiful colored koi carp we now recognize? They simply used three naturally occurring original color mutations of wild carp, crossing them to further develop the varieties of koi that exist today.
It can take 15 to 20 years for a koi Breeder to produce one fish representative of a new type of koi. Even after that one fish is produced, it may be years before the farmer is able to stabilize and improve the new type of koi from a reproductive standpoint. When they finally are considered to be breeding "true," generally no more than 50 percent of the offspring are the desired new type. Then of the total hatch that did breed true, only two to five percent are generally of acceptable quality to sell to the master koi farmers in Japan.
Today, the Japanese term for a wild carp is Magoi. The three naturally occurring color mutations of the wild carp are Tetsu (Iron Magoi), Doro (Mud Magoi), and Asagi (Asagi Magoi).
The skin tone of the Tetsu is close to the black on Showas. Showas are black fish with red and white patterns. Some believe the Showa developed from the Testu because of their similar black coloring. The Showa variety is a fairly recent development in the koi world. It was first produced in 1927.
The Doro has a light browntone to its skin and may have been a mutation from Tetsu. It is speculated that Chagoi (brown koi) and Ogon (metallic koi) may have been created by mating Tetsu (iron) Magoi, Doro (mud) Magoi and Doitsugoi (German scaled Carp). Doitsugoi were brought to Japan from Europe to be used as food carp around 100 years ago.
The modern Asagi has a dark blue and light blue reticulated pattern to its scales and is a direct descendant of the Asagi
Magoi. Asagi are considered to be one of the original Nishikigoi types. Asagi Magoi and then Asagi led to the development of a number of different types of koi. Including: Kohaku (white koi with red pattern); Taisho Sanshoku or Sanke (white koi with red and black pattern); Koromo or Goromo (white koi with red pattern with gray, black, blue or purple reticulation to scales in the red pattern) and Shiro Bekko (white koi with black pattern).
The Asagi Magoi are also responsible for the development of a family tree that included Ki-Matsuba (yellow koi with black reticulation on its scales) and Aka Matsuba (orange koi with black reticulation to its scales). In Japan, many highlights in history are dated and described according to the reign of a particular Emperor. These "eras" in history are also used to date and signify the history of koi development.
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