Koi are living art.

Koi are ornamental carp. They are colorful bodies in motion, many with decorative and unique patterns. Apparently they are long-lived. In captivity, they can live up to 25 to 35 years.

There is an enormous pond at the Japanese Garden in the ABQ Biopark Botanic Garden. It is occupied by hundreds of active and lovely koi. When a human stands at the observation deck, the fish swarm beneath it and swirl around hopeful for a chance to eat a morsel thrown into the water.  Koi are an endless supply of visual material. Here is an older post from the same pond, but who knows if that fish is still with us.

Masao Kato, Japan chairman of the Zen Nippon Airinkai, a group dedicated to promoting the koi hobby worldwide has said that, “Koi swimming slowly and gracefully in the water provide self-healing and peaceful feelings to a person, and koi never fight among themselves.”