5 Surprising Fun Facts About Koi You Didn't Know

Koi look serene gliding through a pond, but the story behind them is anything but ordinary. Here are five facts that surprise even seasoned hobbyists.

1. They started as dinner. Koi descend from common carp farmed for food in 19th-century Niigata, Japan. Rice farmers noticed color mutations in their carp ponds and started breeding the prettiest ones — that's how every Nishikigoi variety alive today began.

2. They recognize their keepers. Koi can distinguish faces and feeding routines. Many will hand-feed from the person they associate with food and ignore strangers entirely.

3. They 'taste' with their lips and barbels. Those little whiskers around their mouths are loaded with taste receptors. Koi essentially sample the pond bottom by touch.

4. Each variety has meaning. A red-on-white Kohaku represents the Japanese flag. A Tancho — pure white with a single red dot — symbolizes the crane and is considered the most patriotic koi of all.

5. They never stop growing. Unlike most fish, koi keep growing throughout their lives. Pond size, water quality, and food drive how big — which is why a 90 cm jumbo koi is such a rare achievement.

The more you learn about them, the more there is to learn. That's a big part of why people keep koi for decades.