


Since most blue koi are the Asagi variety, you can expect these koi to sell for $1,000 to $2,500 as an adult. This is why koi can be found in colors such as blue, usually with a mixture of different colors like white, black, and red depending on the variety of koi. Since the koi’s selective breeding in Japan, there has been a development of different koi fish colors. An emperor was gifted beautifully colored koi fish for his moat, and this led to the koi becoming recognized for their colors and patterns that weren’t the norm at the time The selective breeding of the color-mutated carp dates to the early 1800s, but it wasn’t until the early 1900s that the koi became noticed.Ī Tokyo exhibition took place in 1914 which was the start of the koi fish’s popularity. Since the carp’s colors stood out against the typically dull and neutral-colored carp, the Japanese took interest in selectively breeding the carp to produce the vibrant and colorful koi fish we know today. When the Chinese invaded Japan, the carp with the color mutation were brought in. These carp soon developed color mutations such as reds, whites, and oranges. These carp were originally raised by rice farmers in China as a source of food more than 2,000 years ago.

It is theorized that Japanese koi originated from carp that developed color mutations. These Japanese koi have a lengthy history in China and Japan. Nearly all blue koi fish are considered Japanese Koi.
