A show of koi drew dozens of fans to Bothell to admire the colorful Japanese carp. Owners came to compete for breeding awards, based on shape, color and pattern.

The carp species can survive in diverse conditions, which explains why Koi can be at home in northern Japan in winter and the Mojave desert in the summer. Liu’s Barstow Koi Farm consists of some ...

FILE - Goldfish and carp swim in a spherical water tank at an art aquarium exhibition in Tokyo on July 12, 2014. In recent years, koi have become hugely popular in Asia, with exports doubling over ...

In 2016, Japan exported a record 295 tonnes of koi carp, generating turnover of 3.5 billion yen ($31 million), an increase of almost 50% from 2007, according to Japan’s agriculture ministry.

Anything strike you as special about this fish here? Well, it's worth 1.8 million dollars. It won grand champion at the All Japan Koi Show in 2017, and is the most expensive koi fish ever sold.

Koi are beautifully hued and expensive carp formally called nishikigoi in Japan. The fish, appreciated as “swimming jewels,” represent good luck in life and business.