| Of the all the Koi, the Butterfly Koi fish is perhaps | | | | breeders bred Indonesian long-finned river carp |
| the most beautiful. With it's long, flowing fins and | | | | with traditional Koi. The fish from this breeding, |
| magnificent colors it is both graceful and elegant. | | | | that later became known as the Butterfly Koi fish |
| These fish have dorsal, ventral, pectoral and | | | | had longer fins, long barbells and pom pom nostrils. |
| caudal fins that are long, flowing and almost | | | | They was also hardier than the standard Koi. |
| featherlike in appearance. | | | | The breed was known in Japan as "onagaoi" or |
| This distinctive breed is described by the Japanese | | | | "hire naga koi", which translated into English means |
| as "living jewels" and by the Chinese as | | | | "long tailed Koi". It was Randy Lefever, the son of |
| "swimming flowers". | | | | Wyatt Lefever, who is credited with saying that |
| Besides being so beautiful, with their long flowing | | | | they looked like butterflies. The Japanese |
| fins, this particular fish has been bred to be | | | | sometimes refer to them as Dragon Koi. |
| extemely hardy. Even hardier than the standard | | | | Many people breed them for competition. |
| fin, they are able to withstand colder | | | | Butterfly Koi fish can't be judged using the judging |
| temperatures better as well. This is based on | | | | methods for standard Koi. |
| hybrid vigor or heterosis. The Butterfly Koi and | | | | A couple of reasons that they can't be judged |
| Standard Koi can interbreed easily. | | | | according the same criteria are conformation and |
| The breeding program of this elegant fish began in | | | | the relation of the fin to the body. |
| the United States in the early 1980s. A gentleman | | | | The traditional ideal shape of the standard Koi has |
| named Wyatt Lefever had obtained some | | | | been set to be generously oval. In Butterfly Koi |
| beautiful and unusual long-finned hybrid Asian carp. | | | | the shape is naturally more slender. This |
| He began a breeding program. He crossed the | | | | difference in the fish's conformation is amplified by |
| hybrid Asian Koi with metallic colored Koi resulting | | | | the fact that judging is done by viewing the fish |
| in the beautiful Butterfly Koi fish. These fish have | | | | from above. |
| been available in the United States for the past | | | | In "Nishikigoi" judging ("nishikigoi" means |
| seven or eight years. | | | | domesticated carp) the ratio of fin to body is an |
| These beautiful fish are not the result of breeding | | | | important scoring criteria. This elegant breed of |
| goldfish with Koi as many people believe. While Koi | | | | Koi fish has a ratio that exceeds the standard by |
| and goldfish are closely related their offspring are | | | | 500-1000%. |
| very unattractive (at least compared to their | | | | While body shape and fin length are different for |
| colorful Koi and goldfish parents). They more | | | | both breeds, the judging criteria for color and |
| resemble wild carp and have very little color. | | | | pattern are the same. |
| The Butterfly derivation of the breed first | | | | Even though they have some different attributes |
| originated in Japan in the mid 20th century due to | | | | than standard Koi you may find that you have an |
| an effort by the Japanese to increase the | | | | even greater appreciation for the beautiful |
| hardiness of the breed as a whole. The Japanese | | | | Butterfly Koi fish. |