Show-class specimens are revered for their beauty, their Japanese name, nishikigoi, means living jewelry and admirers are prepared to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the chance to own one.
Tomorrow and Sunday between 8am to 5pm, members of the public can see what all the fuss is about at the 2005 National Koi Competition (2005
The annual event will feature a giant koi carp competition for fish measuring at least 50cm in length.
A koi of this size takes about three years of care to cultivate in ideal conditions that require the pond's water temperature to stay within a range of 18 degrees Celsius to 23 degrees Celsius.
This year's competition will be divided into 15 categories, starting at 15cm-sized koi and running up to giant specimens that measure around or above 80cm long, said Lien Chun-chieh (
Competition classes are graduated according to the length of the fish. Each 5cm increment marks a new group.
Breeders and collectors have entered around 600 koi for the various competitions.
"A 50cm-long championship winner can be worth as much as NT$150,000 or more. Koi cultivators often use champions as breeding fish. Size, color and marking patterns are the three key criteria used to judge entries to the competitions," Lien said.
Since Japan holds the longest tradition of breeding koi and sets the international standards for koi appraisal, the organizer of the local competition usually invites several officially recognized Japanese experts to Taiwan every year to act as judges for the last round of the championship.
In addition, other international visiting teams this year include koi-breeders from Holland, Germany, England, Belgian, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Koi have been bred and categorized into several groups including the Three Royal Families (
According to Lien, single-colored koi carp tends to grow faster than multi-colored koi. Taiwan's warm climate enables the fish to breed from February to June each year. Each female koi can lay as many as 200,000 eggs, but few survive to become adults.
Disease has become a big worry for breeders and collectors this year. Therefore, Lien and other organizers are taking safety measures to prevent viruses from spreading by ensuring that each koi carp passes a physical check-up the day before the competition begins.
Competition Notes:
What: 2005 National Koi Competition(2005全國錦鯉品評會)
When: Tomorrow and Sunday from 8am to 5pm
Where: Bitan (Green Lake), Sindian, Taipei County (台北縣新店市碧潭吊橋下)
Admission: Free
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