Koi Facts

• Koi are part of the Carp Family (Cyprinus carpio) and are native to the Aral, Avon, Black and Caspian Seas located in Eastern Asia.
• Koi were fish brought to Japan by the Chinese in approximately 500 BC, when the Chinese invaded Japan and released Koi into their waterways.
• The colorful Koi we know today were started from Black Carp with mutated red and white scales.
• The easiest way to distinguish a Koi from a Goldfish is that a Koi has a pair of barbels located on each side of the mouth.
• Most Koi are ready to breed when they are approximately 12” long and 3 years of age.
• Female Koi may deposit up to 400,000 eggs during a spawning.
• Spawning is naturally induced by seasonal changes in water temperature; in Michigan Koi typically spawn in May and June.