This week is Carp Week, so here are some facts about koi, a member of the carp family.
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Koi are a brightly coloured form of the species Amur carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus), which were selectively bred for their colours in Japan during the early 19th century.
In Japan, they are called nishikigoi, which literally means "brocaded carp".
Koi is also similar in sound to the Japanese word for love, so they are a symbol of friendship in Japan. In Japanese symbolism koi have many more positive meanings including Luck, prosperity and perseverance in the face of adversity.
The colours they come in are White, Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, and cream. Metallic shades of gold and platinum in the scales have also been developed through selective breeding. A black koi is said to be especially lucky.
Butterfly koi, longfin koi, or dragon carp were developed in the 1980s and are notable for their long and flowing fins.
Koi are distant cousins of Goldfish and it can be hard to distinguish a young koi from a goldfish. They can even interbreed, although their offspring will be sterile.
The average lifespan of a koi is 40 years, although they have been known to live much longer. In 1974, studying the growth rings on the scales of a koi named Hanako revealed that she was 226 years old.
They can grow quite large as well. Koi enthusiast Geoff Lawton bought one which was four feet long, the largest koi ever recorded. He called her Big Girl.
If you want to keep koi as pets, you’ll need a deep pond. A pond at least 8 feet in depth is recommended so that the fish can experience different temperatures, and won’t completely freeze in winter. Each individual will need 250 gallons of Water. A deep pond will also mean that wading birds like herons can’t stand there and eat them. A high overhang will stop next door’s Cat or other predatory mammals from getting them. Also, koi can get sunburn, so you’ll need plants like Water lilies, water lettuce, and water hyacinth in the pond as well.
They are also highly intelligent and can be trained to ring a bell for food and eat from their owner’s hand. They’re clever enough to recognise the person who feeds them.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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