The Stunning White Koi
Posted on Jul 11, 2010 under Aquariums | No Comment
Koi come in a large variety of colours, white koi being one of the most popular, but this was’t always the case. When the Japanese began to breed them many years ago there were only a couple colors. With the increased popularity of domestic koi, the breeding increased and therefore, the varieties. Today you can find them in lots of different colors and patterns including white, red, yellow, green, and black.
Koi fish are sorted into different classifications, so understanding these can make recognising the many varieties much simpler. Each class has standards to find out which group they pertain to, but in most cases each group has a certain level of acceptable diversity. Each koi in a specific class does not necessarily look indistinguishable to the others. Some of the more popular varieties are Kahaku and Hikarimono. The Kahaku are white with red marks. The Hikarimono, also know as Ogon, are popular because they grow large and are easy to spot, among other reasons.
White koi combined with other colors are determined by their varieties. The most popular variety of white koi is the Kohaku, which is white koi with splashes of red. And within this popular breed is the most popular of all Kohaku – the Tancho Kohaku. This white koi is distinguished by its lone red spot on the top of its head. Its simplicity is also its charm, which has prompted efforts of many artists to try and capture their very essence into paintings and tapestries.
Other varieties of white koi are the Taisho sanshoku which almost looks the same as kohaku except for the presence of little black markings amongst the red, called sumi. The Koromo also looks similar to the Kohaku if not for the accents of purple, blue and black interspersed with the red. Other varieties, such as Bekko and Utsuri, have the word Shiro before their names to show that the main color is white, although that is not their primary color. Still others, like the Kin Rin and Gin Rin koi, and the Hikari Utsuri and Hikarimoyo, can be found in differently colored backgrounds yet still have white mixed in with the other shades.
Interestingly, Platinum Ogon are not bred with their same type. Instead breeders use Ginrin because of their reflective scales, which are considerably different then the metallic scales of the Platinum. However, these glimmering scales do not necessarily cover the entire body of the Ginrin. In-fact, if just 20 of these scales can be spotted as the fish swims by, that is considered enough, although not ideal.
To get the best view of the splendid color of the white koi, or any koi for that matter, one should view it from above where most of the color resides. In addition, the light is able to reflect off their backs best, giving them a stunning look. They really are amazing fish and make great pond pets. The white koi being one of the most popular.
For more great info on koi fish, please visit http://koifish.online-re-source.com/.