Koi fish are actually one of the most beautiful, fascinating creatures in the world, and if you take the time to explore the culture and traditions surrounding keeping them, you will be surprised at just how much information has been compiled about them.
Not even mentioning the rich history and the information around ornamental carp curation, there is so much to learn about the sub-varieties alone.
Taking a look at an intriguing and highly controversial koi sub-variety, the gold ghost koi, lets see what makes it so special, interesting, and controversial.
How does a Gold Ghost Koi look?
Gold ghost koi are ghost koi with gold coloration.
Resulting from the mating of a wild mirror carp with a metallic Ogon koi, these stunning fish come in cream, silver, or gold tones, with long fins and a stunning overall shape.
Koi such as these are great additions to any pond as they glide through water with haunting beauty.
Particularly the gold ghost koi are truly something special, featuring a brilliant golden hue that makes them look as if they have just been dipped into molten gold, resulting in a glistening fish with a gold hue.
Ghost Koi's Naming
The naming of this sub-variety is actually a bit more complicated than one might think! A ghost koi may seem obvious, but the naming of this sub-variety is actually more interesting.
The first ghost koi that were bred were not white at all; actually, as the koi were very dark and intensely metallic, and their scales glistened in the water while their forms were concealed by the depths, making them appear ghostly with no visible connection.
The above-mentioned solid colors were bred for over time by breeders. Due to their long fins and gorgeous, brightly metallic coloring, these fish do not have quite the ghostly impact of their dark-toned predecessor, but of course they still look incredible in ponds!
These fish have a magical quality about them.
The Gold Ghost Koi Controversy
A lot of controversy still surrounds gold ghost koi's acceptance as koi fish.
In spite of the fact that gold ghost koi or any ghost koi are undeniably gorgeous and interesting, the koi fish community does not entirely accept them as legitimate koi fish.
It is because of how they were bred. Their blood is not entirely from ornamental koi, since wild-caught mirror carp was used to create them. Due to this deviation in lineage, many traditional breeders refuse to breed ghost koi and cull wild-caught based babies.
As traditional breeding is treated as an art style, deviations are usually not accepted, leading to some conflict between traditional and modern breeders.
Ghost Koi Attributes
As one of the most controversial koi sub-varieties in existence, ghost koi have a different body, personality, and overall health than standard koi. Because of their wild mirror carp heritage, they in fact retain many body characteristics and attributes that differ greatly from most ornamental carp that are bred from selective or bloodline breeding.
One of the most impressive things about the gold ghost koi aside from the stunning appearance is how healthy and strong they are.
Most ghost koi types, including gold ghosts, have exceptionally durable immune systems and are sick less frequently on average than ornamental koi. https://www.grandkoi.com/shop/ were exposed to much more than hand-raised ornamental koi, resulting in their ability to fight infections and other illnesses more effectively.
In addition, ghost koi grow considerably bigger than ornamental koi. Their growth rate is much faster, and they can weigh up to forty pounds at times! The reason is that they have been able to survive by acquiring genetic code for their growth from the mirror carp.
A range of factors contribute to wild carp getting bigger than captive ones, including diet and the fact that larger fish are less likely to get eaten by most predators. In turn, the ghost koi has become very popular with homeowners who want a lot of big koi or who want a pond that grows rapidly.
Besides being very active, ghost koi are also friendly and social. In search of food, ghost koi swim along the tops of the water, displaying a keen interest in humans from both of their parentages.
The reason they are such a favorite among fish keepers of all levels is that they are fairly easily seen in the pond and they are just generally fun and interesting to watch.
Ghost Koi Quirks
Ghost koi, when very young, often have translucent skin on their heads, which is an odd aspect of their care.
Koi, especially white ghosts, often have visible skulls when they are young. Eventually, the skin thickens and is less see-through, but the creatures are a little creepy at first.
Stunning, Shiny Fish
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