- If you don't own koi fish, you have for sure seen them somewhere!
Do you know all these koi fish fun facts? National Koi Day was earlier this month on July 7th and here are all the facts you don’t already know.
The Largest
The world’s largest koi is over 90 pounds! Many of these fish grow up to three feet long and weigh dozens of pounds. The largest koi that was ever recorded was named Big Girl and she weighed in at 91 pounds. A koi enthusiast from the United Kingdom bought this prized koi.
Can Be Expensive
If you’re a koi fish enthusiast or a breeder, it’s pretty possible you’d pay thousands for good koi stock. The most expensive koi fish in the world sold for $1.9 million at one point. This koi fish was a special variety of ornamental koi called K?haku. It’s not only the most expensive of koi that are pricey though, as many varieties still sell for $100 to $2,000 each. And to add to their collection specifically, breeders, traders, collectors and enthusiasts will pay even more if it’s a specific koi they’re looking to add to their collection.
Captivity
In captivity, koi fish can live up to 30 years or more. Some koi raised in captivity have been found to live for 40 or 50 years. Because of this, koi fish are some of the longest living fish in the world. Some families keep these fish for years and years.
Most Aren’t Wild
Most koi fish are raised in captivity even though they originally descended from wild carp, there are very few wild koi throughout the world. Even the koi found in retention ponds and canals in Asia were largely bred in captivity and then eventually released into these areas. There are some places that feature “wild” koi because of their association with good luck.
The Longest Living
The longest living koi was over 200 years old. Hanako was born in 1791 and didn’t die until 1977, or 226 years old. Many people claim that this fish lived for all those years but no other fish has lived as long as Hanako so we’re not really sure if we can believe them or not.
Lucky
A lot of cultures think of koi as good luck and the more big, beautiful and old they are, the luckier they are said to be! Koi fish are also known to bring luck and wealth to people making them a popular fish that people want.
Goldfish Are Their Family
While some think that koi fish are like giant goldfish and while that’s not true they both descended from a type of wild carp.The wild carp eventually became these two types of popular captive fish.
Not Picky Eaters
Koi fish are omnivores and will pretty much eat anything, from pieces of bread to fish food and even insects. Many koi fish will float to the surface of water to receive food and are versatile and flexible with what they eat. They will eat things from outside the water as well, if given the chance.
Sunburns
Koi fish like to live in water that’s cold and shady because they have very sensitive skin and can even get sunburned. This happens with koi fish because their ponds are usually shallow and outside. It’s important to provide a lot of shade for your kois and to make sure they aren’t exposed to direct sunlight, especially during the summer months and within already hot environments.
Generational Wealth
Since koi are such expensive fish and they live for so long, they are often passed down through people’s wills and and passed down as generational wealth. This happens most often in Asia where there is more of a koi culture than in North America. And receiving koi in this way, especially if it’s a large and expensive koi, is considered good fortune and a bit of a prized inheritance as the fish is known for good fortune.
Do you own any koi fish or know anyone that does? Let me know what you thought of these koi fish fun facts in the comments!