Listen to the Song – The Painted Warrior
The complete lyrics are included in the companion book, Our Jewels in the Water, allowing readers to follow every song while discovering the remarkable stories behind our freshwater fish.
Enjoying the music?
The companion book Our Jewels in the Water includes the full lyrics, additional stories, exclusive photographs and beautiful illustrations for every species.
The Koi Carp
The Painted Warrior
“Beneath the quiet surface swims a living canvas — painted in red, white, gold and black, yet carrying the strength of the ancient carp within.”
Species Profile
The Koi Carp is the spectacular ornamental form of the Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio).
Generations of selective breeding, particularly in Japan, have produced fish displaying an extraordinary range of colours and patterns.
Brilliant white may be crossed with scarlet red. Deep black markings can contrast with gold, yellow, orange or shimmering metallic scales.
To enthusiasts, these patterns are far more than simple decoration. Different combinations of colour, markings and scale types have developed into recognised varieties, each with its own characteristics.
Yet beneath those magnificent colours remains a carp — strong, adaptable and unmistakably related to the wild fish from which generations of Koi ultimately descended.
It is both artwork and warrior.
The Painted Warrior.
Clive’s Story
I think anyone who loves fish has to admire a really beautiful Koi.
You don’t need to be a Koi expert to appreciate one.
Stand beside a clear pond and watch a large Koi rise slowly towards you and it can be breathtaking.
The colours seem almost too perfect to be natural.
Red against brilliant white.
Black markings arranged like brushstrokes.
Gold flashing as the fish turns beneath the sunlight.
But what fascinates me is that beneath all that beauty is still the unmistakable shape and character of a carp.
Take away the colours and you still have a powerful fish.
That combination of beauty and strength is what makes the Koi so special.
Natural History
Koi share their fundamental biology with the Common Carp.
They are omnivorous and will eat a wide variety of foods, including aquatic invertebrates, plant material and specially prepared Koi foods.
They use the characteristic barbels around their mouths to investigate their surroundings and locate food.
Given sufficient space, excellent water quality and proper care, Koi can grow into impressively large fish.
They can also live for many years.
Unlike Britain’s wild carp, however, Koi have been deliberately developed as ornamental pond fish.
Their brilliant colours, which make them so attractive in a garden pond, also make them extremely conspicuous compared with the natural camouflage of wild carp.
Interesting Facts
- Scientific name: Cyprinus carpio
- Family: Cyprinidae.
- Koi are ornamental forms of the Common Carp.
- Selective breeding produced their extraordinary colours and patterns.
- Japan became particularly famous for developing modern ornamental Koi.
- Colours can include white, red, black, yellow, orange, blue and gold.
- Numerous recognised Koi varieties exist.
- Individual patterns can make particular fish instantly recognisable.
- Some highly prized Koi can be extremely valuable.
- Koi possess the characteristic barbels of Common Carp.
- They can grow surprisingly large.
- With excellent care they can be remarkably long-lived.
Behind the Song
When writing The Painted Warrior, two very different images came together.
The first was an artist’s canvas.
Look at a magnificent Koi and its markings can resemble brushstrokes painted carefully across the body.
No two are exactly alike.
But then I remembered what lies beneath that painting.
A carp.
Strong.
Powerful.
Resilient.
The beautiful colours haven’t removed the ancient character of the fish.
So the Koi became a warrior wearing magnificent ceremonial colours.
Not simply a painted fish.
The Painted Warrior.
Responsible Ownership
Koi are ornamental fish and should be kept responsibly in properly maintained ponds with adequate space, filtration, oxygen and good water quality.
They should never be released into rivers, canals, lakes or other natural waters.
An unwanted ornamental fish may appear to gain its freedom when released, but introductions can create ecological problems and may also introduce disease or parasites to wild fish populations.
Koi that can no longer be cared for should instead be responsibly rehomed.
Protecting our native and established wild fish communities means keeping ornamental species and varieties where they belong.
A beautiful garden pond can provide Koi with everything they need without placing natural waters at risk.
Clive’s Reflection
The Koi Carp demonstrates something extraordinary about our relationship with fish.
For centuries people haven’t simply kept these animals.
They have admired them.
Studied them.
Selected them.
And eventually transformed the humble colours of the carp into something resembling living art.
Yet the fish itself hasn’t forgotten what it is.
Watch a large Koi move through a pond and you still see the power of the carp.
The broad shoulders.
The deliberate movement.
The great tail pushing the fish effortlessly through the water.
Then it turns and suddenly the sunlight catches those remarkable colours.
For a moment you are looking at both nature and art.
A carp carrying centuries of human history across its scales.
A living painting with the heart of an old warrior.
The Painted Warrior.
“Paint may cover the warrior, but beneath every colour still beats the ancient heart of the carp.”