IN 2022, THE GOLD GHOST KOI WILL BE ALLURING

As you learn more about the culture, traditions, and historical events surrounding keeping koi fish, you will be blown away at how much information has been compiled about these beautiful creatures.

Just examining the sub-varieties is an excellent place to begin, let alone exploring the history and rich data surrounding ornamental carp curation.

We’ll look at what makes the gold ghost koi so intriguing, interesting, and potentially divisive, as one of the most stunning and controversial sub-varieties.

Gold Ghost Koi: what is it?

Among the ghost koi, gold ghost koi are a particular coloration.

In combination with an Ogon koi, a wild mirror carp is bred to yield a fish with a solid tone in either cream, silver, or gold, with long fins and a stunning body structure.

They look hauntingly beautiful as they glide through the water, hence the name of these koi.

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 name ghost koi may seem obvious to you, but its origin is actually quite interesting.

Ghost koi were not at all white at first! Quite the contrary, actually, the koi were both dark and metallic, their scales glittering in the water while their form was obscured by the depths, giving the illusion of ghostly fins that had no visible connection.

In the course of time, breeders began breeding for other solid colors, like those listed above. With their long fins and shiny metallic colors, these fish don’t quite have the same ghostly impact as their dark-toned counterpart, but they are still stunning!

It’s amazing how enchanting these fish are.

The Gold Ghost Koi Controversy

However, there is some controversy surrounding gold ghost koi’s acceptance as actual koi.

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’s because they were bred differently. The ornamental koi blood in them was not entirely derived from ornamental koi because wild-caught mirror carp were combined with metallic Ogon ornamental koi fish. Many traditional breeders do not recognize ghost koi as actual koi fish, therefore outright refusing to breed them and culling wild-caught offspring.

Breeding traditional animals is treated as an art style, so deviations are not generally accepted, resulting in tension between traditional and modern breeders.

Ghost Koi Attributes

Ghost koi fish are not only controversial, but also different when it comes to their bodies, personalities, and overall health. It is because they have inherited many characteristics from their wild mirror carp heritage, resulting in many aspects of their body composition being very different from those typically found in ornamental koi or ornamental carp.

One of the greatest things that came from this breeding decision, aside from the stunning overall appearance of the gold ghost koi, has to be their health and immunity.

For the most part, gold ghost koi and all ghost koi types have incredibly strong immune systems, which prevents them from getting sick as often as traditional ornamental koi. Because wild ancestors were exposed to an array of stresses, they developed the ability to fight off infections and other illnesses at a much higher rate than handreared ornamental fish.

Koi like Ghost get a lot bigger than most ornamental koi. It is not uncommon for them to reach forty pounds at a much faster rate, as well! In order to survive, they inherit genetic code for their growth from mirror carps.

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. The ghost koi, therefore, has become extremely popular among those who want large koi or who wish to experience fast growth.

They are also very active and friendly, especially ghost koi. Ghost koi, as a result of both parentages, are extremely curious about humans, swimming near the surface of the water in search of food.

Since they are simply fun and interesting, they are often popular with fish keepers of all levels since they are one of the most visible fish in the pond.

Ghost Koi Quirks

While taking care of ghost kois, it is sometimes surprising to notice that the fish have translucent skin on their heads when they are very young.

It is particularly noticeable in white ghost koi, which have young skulls visible. Eventually, the skin thickens and becomes less see-through, but for a while, they look creepy.

Stunning, Shiny Fish