Kio carp hooded top 80% comed cotton, 20% polyester, brushed back fleece, double layered hood, kangaroo pocket, wristband and cuffs with elasthane, twin needle finish throughout.

You can have design on front or back of hoodie, just select from dropdown menu.

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All hoodies will be sent with a small specimen hunters logo to one side.

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Posting for hoodies within the uk is £2.50.

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INFO:

Particularly beautiful specimens have been known to fetch prices in excess of half-a-million from private collectors who specialize in their breeding and showing.  However, the koi is more than just a colourful and collectable fish.  It is also one of the most popular and beautiful of Japanese tattoo symbols – a beauty which belies its symbolic meaning.  Although Chinese in origin, the carp is now widely celebrated in Japan, particularly for its manly qualities.  It is said to climb waterfalls bravely, and, if caught, it lies upon the cutting board awaiting the knife without a quiver, not unlike a samurai (warrior) facing a sword.  This theme dates back to ancient China, where a legend tells of how any koi that succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate (on the Yellow River) would be transformed into a dragon.  Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement.  Eventually, the stoic fish came to be associated with so many masculine and positive qualities that it was appropriated for the annual Boys' Day Festival in Japan where even today colorful, streaming koi flags are traditionally displayed for each son in the family.  In tattoo imagery, especially in combination with flowing water, it symbolizes much the same:  courage, the ability to attain high goals, and overcoming life's difficulties.

Origins:

The common carp is widely believed to have originated from the Caspian Sea with natural habitat surrounding the North, Baltic, Mediterranean, Black, Azov, Caspian and Aral Sea basins. The common carp, as a food fish with the ability to survive and adapt to many climates and waterways, was bartered and spread to many areas, including North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Wild populations of the common carp now exist in those four continents and South America.

Natural colour mutations of these carp would have occurred across all populations. Historical records indicate that carp with colour mutations were found in China. However, the earliest records of carp with distinct colours kept for selective breeding, true Nishikigoi, have been found in Japan. Depictions of carp or 'koi' with different colour variations have been found on 18th century Japanese drawings and paintings. The ornamental cultivation of carp originated in the Niigata region of Japan during the Japanese Edo Period. 

Etymology:

The word "koi" comes from Japanese, simply meaning "carp." It includes both the dull grey fish and the brightly coloured varieties. A homophone of koi means "love, affection" and koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan: a good example is the short story Koi-san by Mukoda Kuniko.

History:

Koi breeding originated in the 18th century in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. Farmers working the rice fields would notice that some carp were more brightly coloured than others, capture them, and raise them. By the 20th century, a number of colour patterns had been established, most notably the red-and-white Kohaku. The outside world did not become aware of the degree of development until 1914, when the Niigata koi were exhibited in the annual exposition in Tokyo. At that point, interest in koi exploded throughout Japan. The hobby of keeping koi spread worldwide after plastic bags and shipping of koi became both fast and safe for the fish. These factors enabled koi to be shipped worldwide with low mortality rates. Koi are now commonly sold in most pet stores, with higher-quality fish available from specialist dealers.

Koi varieties are distinguished by colouration, patterning, and scalation. Ghost koi, developed in the 1980s are metallic hybrids of wild carp and Ogon koi and are not considered true Nishikigoi. Butterfly koi, Longfin koi, or Dragon Carp were also developed in the 1980s and are notable for their long and flowing fins. They are actually hybrids with Asian carp and, like Ghost koi, are not considered true Nishikigoi. Koi fish are very shy, and will dart away with ease.