Difference between Japanese and "chinese" koi?

[Lex]

Dear bros, I tried to google this but could not find anything between the koi family, instead, all the differences were between koi and goldfish..

But as above, I'd like to learn more about the diff between jap kois and the $2-5 dollar kois we find in the shop..

What causes the price jump? Also, do the sizes vary in adult stage? Is it possible to buy cheap koi that grow up beautiful, superficially, not expert type beauty.. Also, are the reffered to as chinese koi?

Thanks in advance.. I hope to be able to learn alot..

[tancho]

The koi that we see today was "developed" in Japan in the 1940's (if I'm not mistaken) by Japanese rice farmers in Nigiita from the common carp kept by the rice farmers as food source.

Apparently, the farmers noticed colour mutations occurring in some of the common carps (which were originally dark brown in colour), and used these fish with colour mutations to breed among themselves to achieve fish with colour apart from the solid brown original specie.

The modern day koi is derived from these early coloured varieties. So, technically, there is only Japanese koi. However, there are kois bred elsewhere using Japanese koi brood-stocks, either directly or indirectly.

Most hobbyists regard kois from Japan as the standard bearer, although good kois can be had from breeders in many other countries, such as Taiwan (mainly using Japanese brood-stocks). Israel has a thriving koi breeding industry, although the quality is still far from the Japanese or even the Taiwanese varieties.

Hope this brief explanation helps