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Tropical Freshwater KOI Fish
There are many types of koi for example koi carp, Nishikigoi, Japanese Koi, all are names applied to coloured varieties of the common carp Cyprinus carpio. Whatever name you choose to call them, Koi are truly one of natures wonders and add a magnificent palette of colour to any garden fish pond. Since their early beginnings in the Nigata region of Japan in the Nineteenth century, Koi have been selectively bred and developed to produce the many varied types of coloured Koi available today.
The earliest types of Koi produced were bred from the fish kept by rice farmers to supplement their diet. From time to time coloured mutations would appear amongst these carp and some were kept as pets. It seems most likely that the first types to appear were the red and white varieties now referred to as Kohaku. From these early beginnings breeders were able to breed other colour varieties the next types to appear were Sanke and Showa, both are three colour patterns of red, white and black but with different proportions of the three colours.
