Avatar:Elephant koi

This article is about the large fish found off the coast of Kyoshi Island. For the koi incarnations of the Moon and Ocean Spirits, see Tui and La, respectively.

<infobox theme-source="nation"> <image source="image" /> <title source="name"><default>Elephant koi</default></title> <group> <header>General information</header> <label>Habitat</label> <label>Status</label> <label>Bending</label> <label>Uses</label> </group> <group> <header>Chronological information</header> <label>First appearance</label> <label>Last appearance</label> <label>Voiced by</label> </group> <header>Image gallery (0)</header> </infobox> The elephant koi, also known as giant koi, is an enormous, brightly colored fish. Valued for its meat, blubber, and oil, the animal is Kyoshi Island's primary export.

History

According to the Kyoshi Warriors, there was once a pirate traveling all over the world, who learned the secrets for cooking the elephant koi roaming near Kyoshi Island. At some point in his journey, he made his way to the northwestern parts of the Earth Kingdom, where he learned techniques from the Hami tribe and other expert benders in the area. Due to this, the seared wild Kyoshi elephant koi is a dish that can be found in restaurants all over the Earth Kingdom.

Aang traveled to Kyoshi Island, accompanied by Katara and Sokka, with the intent of riding on an elephant koi for recreation. After one of the creatures was spotted breaching in the nearby bay, the Avatar dove into the water and latched himself onto the dorsal fin of the fish. The mounted elephant koi swam across the surface of the water followed by two more of its kind, breaching intermittently. Two of the fish broke away, including the one Aang was riding, while the other proceeded further until being suddenly dragged underwater by the unagi, the fish's natural predator. Shortly thereafter, the elephant koi ridden by Aang was also dragged below the surface by the unagi, leaving the airbender stranded in the bay.

Following the end of the Hundred Year War, Aang returned to Kyoshi Island with his son, Tenzin, to ride the elephant koi once more.

Anatomy

Aang rode an elephant koi when visiting Kyoshi Island.

The elephant koi are enormous fish, reaching lengths of forty to fifty feet, a single specimen can feed a Kyoshi Islander village for a week. Although they are mainly colored a light shade of yellow, broken patterns of orange are prominent down their backs, between their eyes, on the tips of their fins, and in small circles around the bases of their tails. Variations of this color pattern can be seen on most elephant koi. The fish features a single dorsal fin supported by about half a dozen spines. Additional fins include a pair of pectoral fins, a pelvic fin, and an anal fin on the ventral side of the creature, as well as a relatively small, single-lobed caudal fin. Elephant koi also possess barbels on the sides of their mouth as a physical attribute.

Behavior

Elephant koi can survive both in fresh as well as salt water, and often spend their lives moving between different aquatic environments. They typically travel in small schools, but when disturbed, they are known to separate in an effort to evade a predator. On occasion, the fish swim directly below the surface of the water, exposing their dorsal fin, and can be witnessed jumping great heights out of the water.

Despite their impressive size, they are quite docile. As a result, some people actually keep elephant koi as pets in privately owned lakes.

Connection

Koi are a domesticated, colorful variety of the common carp and are closely related to the goldfish. In the early nineteenth century, the Japanese noticed the beautiful color patterns on some of the carp and bred them for these markings. The elephant koi share no real similarities to elephants aside from their massive size.

Trivia

• Elephant koi meat can be used in creating gourmet dishes. Suyin Beifong's chef served a seared wild elephant koi with a ginger-infused pea tendril and hibiscus root salad to the matriarch and her dinner party as the meal's main dish.
• A legendary festival called the Flying Koi Carnival is celebrated in the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se.
• Jin thought that Sung's mustache made him look like an elephant koi when he slept.

See also

• Fauna in the World of Avatar
• Recreation in the World of Avatar