Koi fish is a type of fish that lives in freshwater and can be used as a pet ornamental fish in a pond. Koi fish are famous for their beauty and variety of colors and patterns. It originated in Japan and has become a cultural symbol rich in meaning in various traditions and philosophies. Morphologically, this Koi fish has an elongated body stature like a torpedo with fins on the back, hips, a pair on the chest and tail.
One of the attractions of the beauty of ornamental fish is the color of the fish. The color of ornamental fish is indeed a special attraction for ornamental fish lovers. Koi fish, for example, have amazing color combinations, such as red, white, yellow, orange and black.
A quality koi fish is a koi fish that has a bright color and according to its type. Like kohaku koi fish are said to be of good quality if they have a bright red color and pure white without yellowish. Then Koi Showa fish has a solid black base color with contrasting red and clean white. Sanke Koi fish have a snow white base color with striking red and solid black tones. A quality Koi fish should also have an even color composition.
Some of the factors that affect the color quality of the Koi fish kept include genetics, environment, light, and feed nutrition.
1. Genetic factors are the main factor in influencing the formation of koi fish color. Koi fish can carry traits that are passed down to their parents. So if the color and style of koi fish are good, then these traits will be passed on to their children.
2. Environment, Some environmental conditions such as levels of pollutants in water, water hardness and pH values, and water temperature can also affect the color of koi fish.
3. Bright light gives a better color appearance than dark light because in bright light conditions the melanophore pigments (black color-carrying cells) become concentrated (gathered / not spread), so the cells appear wrinkled and make the fish skin brighter.
4. Feed nutrition also affects the color quality of koi fish. The food given to koi fish usually contains dyes to improve the quality and consumption of color pigments in fish.
Good koi fish color quality will affect the price of koi fish. Koi fish that have quality colors will be in great demand by fish hobbyists, because the good quality of koi color will increase the demand for Koi fish. If the demand for koi fish increases, the price of koi fish will also increase.
So the four factors mentioned above such as genetic factors, environment, lighting, and feed nutrition can be used as a reference when going to do koi fish maintenance activities in the pond at your home.