Coy Fish

The word Coy Fish is derived from Koi, the Japanese name for carp. They have originated from Eastern Asia, Aral Sea, Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. These are widely cultivated fish in China and Japan. There are both, the colorful varieties as well as the dull grey colored fish. In Japan this fish symbolizes love and friendship.

The breeding of coy fish first became popular in Japan in the 19th century when farmers accidentally discovered these brightly colored creatures and started to raise them. Gradually it became popular throughout Japan but the rest of the world still was not aware of this kind of fish. When the use of plastic bags became popular, the shipping of coy became fast and safe. Thus the coy fish started being shipped to other countries, throughout the world. They are now found in most of the pet stores.

Coy fish is a cold water fish and are therefore advised to keep in a pond with a minimum of 1.5 meters in diameter and 4 and half feet deep in areas that are harshly cold. Whereas a meter more of depth is required for these fishes in areas that are hot. When the temperatures of the cold areas drop below 50, coy fishes go into a stage of hibernation. They remain at the bottom of the pond as the top layer of the pond freezes and stay there till the ice begin to melt at spring.

Varieties

Coy fish are found in many colors and therefore are referred to as living jewels in the pond. They are found in white, black, red blue and yellow colors. Even their price range varies from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. Their wide varieties include:

• Kohaku which is white skinned with red pattern
• Taisho Sanshoku which is white skinned with red and black pattern
• Showa Sanshoku which is black skinned with red and white pattern
• Tancho which is any fish which has a red circle in the forhead
• Asagi is a Coy fish with light blue scales on its top and red scales on its bottom
• Shusui is partially scaled version of the Asagi
• Bekko is a white, red or yellow skinned variety
• Utsurimono is a black with red, white or yellow pattern
• Goshiki is mostly a black fish with red white brown and blue pattern
• Ogon is a one which has metallic colors
• Kin Gin Gin are coy fish with shiny scales
• Kawarimono are miscellaneous types of coy
• Doitsu goi is a German carp
• Koromo is a coy fish with areas of blue edged scales neatly aligned
• Hikari Moyomono is a coy fish with colored patterns over a metallic base
• Ghost koi is a hybrid of ogon and wild carp
• Butterfly koi is the winged version of all the others.

Coy fish are omnivorous and they live on anything ranging from watermelon seeds, lettuce leaves and peas. They even chew away mosquito larvae and other insects, making it easier for you to maintain them in your pond. In the winter, their digestive tract becomes very small and they eat nothing more than the algae at the bottom. They are the friendliest variety of fish that can be trained to respond to a clap to gather at a particular spot while feeding. They can easily hand fed and since they have no teeth, they can be fed by small children also.

Life Span

If the conditions are favorable and ideal, they can live for up to 90 years. Ideal conditions are clean water, large area and fresh food. They live longer if kept with other pond fishes as well as with themselves. Coy fish are a favorite of many pond owners in many countries since they can be bred in any climates, even the harsh winters.