Ghost Koi were first conceived in the 1980’s, when Koi Carp bred with more naturally coloured wild carp (mirror or common carp). The end result was fish which are characterised by many of the traits of true Koi Carp (Nishikigoi) but with dark scales down the back and often dark markings on the face and body.
In 1980’s Japan when Koi farmers came across such fish, they would be culled on account of being undesirable. While Ghost Koi were often almost fully black in the 80’s, the present-day versions are much more colourful, coming in both scaled and scale-less (doitsu) varieties; and as a result, have become a staple feature in many Koi ponds worldwide. We can thank Koi pioneering countries such as Israel, for the beautiful specimens we see today.
Ghost Koi are genetically identical to true Nishikigoi. While the wild Amur carp species may have separated from the Koi Carp in looks due to hybridising the two varieties, they’re very much still the same species and are able to produce fertile offspring. One of the key differences other than colour, is Ghost Koi tend to be more voracious, eating more than their counterparts.