Black Koi

by Efe Giolla⁽¹⁾
http://koicareadviser.com

Considered to be a unique breed of fish, black Koi are well known for the distinctiveness of their color and pattern making them very attractive among the kingdom of fishes. Koi fish have a long life span, they can live for as long as two hundred years but the typical life span is about twenty-five to thirty-five years.

Koi males can be easily distinguished by their bowl-shaped anal configuration; they also exhibit a distinctive breeding spots on their head, spawning to produce as many as 1,000 eggs. The baby Koi fish are called fry, these babies' starts emerging approximately in 96-168 hours or four to seven days. Survival is highly dependent on the water temperature. These fishes can't survive in cold waters. Incredibly their color doesn't appear not until the fry reaches the age of around three to twelve weeks.

Fry is not as multicolored as adults however their color patterns turn out to be prominent when they reach the age of 3 weeks. The earliest Koi that were bred by the Japanese were only of two color variety. Through years of Koi propagation, they generated more color variations and patterns.

Black Koi is able to grow in length of about 4 feet long. That is why when you are breeding this kind of fish you need to the size of the pond beforehand for them. One of the Koi produce in mutation is the Magoi Koi, it was the first cultivated black koi that is able to grow thirty six inches long. The color is not really black but instead bronze. When looked from above the water however the koi reflects a black color. Because of the Magoi's ability to grow in size they are used to maximize their growth potential by cross breeding to enhance growth. The first black koi came and was name as the karasu which means "crow" in Japanese. It is the second specie but it wasn't a click on all koi hobbyist and never came significant in the market.

In 1980's the Kumonryu became the most popular among the black Koi species and it is commonly known as the "dragon" koi. Kumonryu are one of the strangest Koi. They are scale less and their pattern actually changes throughout depending on water temperature changes. This specie is commonly tattooed on human skin for it is a strong symbol for Japanese and it symbolizes strength and ferocity.

No one is absolutely sure what causes the color change, but the two best theories are a change in temperature or a change in pH. Kumonryu are usually black in the winter and the white usually appears in the spring and summer

Another type of Black Koi that is unique is the Matsukawabake, it has the ability to change its color. Matsukawabake is actually very similar to a Kumonryu koi in that they all have varying unstable patterns on their body that often fluctuate and change. The color changing is greatly affected by the food they eat, the water temperature and the season. The original black color of the Matsukawabake is maintained when no temperature changes take place.

For real pro koi enthusiasts, having black koi in their ponds is a breath taking sight. Be certain that your black koi is an authentic one, so you are able to fully enjoy the distinct color of these black creatures roaming around your pond.

Efe Goilla is a koi expert. For more great information on black koi and building amazing koi ponds, visit http://koicareadviser.com.

Article submitted Friday, August 21, 2009 & read 108 times.

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» left by Ken McCreless (2 years 262 days ago.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. Koi fish are such fascinating creatures!
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