The Koi Varieties
Thanks to the ingenuity and dedication of Japanese master koi breeders, the world is now blessed with a diverse collection of koi breeds and varieties. Present-day koi are so brilliantly colored that it's difficult to imagine all of them coming from the dull-colored fish grown for food in the mountains of Niigata, Japan centuries ago.
To
novice koi hobbyists, the flurry of Japanese terms
corresponding to these various breeds can be daunting. The
advice commonly given is to get accustomed to the terms
slowly and enjoy the learning process. The starting point
of this learning process is more often than not with the
three most established and most popular breeds of koi,
namely, the 'Kohaku', the 'Sanke', and the 'Showa'.
'Gosanke' is the term used to refer to these three breeds taken
together.
"Koi appreciation starts with the Kohaku and ends with the Kohaku."
Kohaku, which pertains to a white koi with red markings, is
the first breed to be established by the Japanese. Its
simplicity, beauty, and availability make it the most
popular and logical choice for a person buying his or her
first koi. Through the ensuing years this hobbyist may
build up his collection by adding newer and more
sophisticated varieties. After having tried them all,
however, this hobbyist will most likely 'rediscover' the Kohaku,
finally experiencing first-hand what the cliche above really
means. But it doesn't end there, the cycle simply starts
all over again.
Such is the hobby of koi keeping - a never-ending process
of 'discovery' and 'rediscovery'. Thirty years from now,
our hobbyist might still be watching some of his or her
original koi swimming in the pond after having owned many
other varieties of these 'living jewels'. If that will be the case,
then he will have done things correctly, and can
rightfully claim that he has, after all, achieved every koi
keeper's dream.
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