KOI are brightly coloured, ornamental fish that are from of the carp family, which is a large group of fish originally found in Central Europe and ASIA. The colourful variety originated in JAPAN. Koi are typically kept for decorative purposes in outdoor ponds and water gardens. There are many different varieties of koi, some of which are white, black, red, orange and yellow. While a goldfish and a koi fish can look similar, koi have whisker-like feelers called BARBELS that are actually sensory organs near their mouths.