Common carp

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Common carp Conservation status: Data deficient
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Cypriniformes Family: Cyprinidae Genus: Cyprinus Species: C. carpio
Binomial name
Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Common carp or European carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a widespread freshwater fish distantly related to the common goldfish, with which it is capable of interbreeding. It gives its name to the carp family Cyprinidae. Originating in Asia, the fish has been introduced into environments worldwide. It can grow to a maximum length of 5 feet (1.5 meters), a maximum weight of over 80lb (37.3 kg), and an oldest recorded age of at least 65 years. The wild, non-domesticated, forms tend to be much less stocky at around 20% - 33% the maximum size. Koi (錦鯉 (nishikigoi) in Japanese, 鯉魚 (pinyin: lĭ yú) in Chinese) is a domesticated ornamental variety that originated in China but became known to the Western world through Japan.

Although they are very tolerant of most conditions, the common carp prefer large bodies of slow or standing water and soft, vegetative sediments. A schooling fish, they prefer to be in groups of 5 or more. They natively live in a temperate climate in fresh or brackish water with a 7.0 - 7.5 pH, a water hardness of 10.0 - 15.0 dGH, and an ideal temperature range of 37.4 - 75.2 °F (3 - 24 °C).

[edit] Diet

The common carp, as well as its variants, mirror carp, with large mirror like scales (linear mirror - scaleless except for a row of large scales that run along the lateral line; originating in Germany), leather carp (virtually unscaled except near dorsal fin) and fully scaled carp, is omnivorous and will eat almost anything that it comes across. The common carp is happy to eat a vegetarian diet of water plants, but also insects, crustaceans (including zooplankton), or even dead fish if the opportunity arises.

[edit] Carp as pests

Carp gather near a dock in Lake Powell

Carp have been introduced, often illegally, into many countries. In some countries, due to their habit of grubbing through bottom sediments for food and alteration of their environment, they destroy, uproot and disturb submerged vegetation causing serious damage to native duck and fish populations. In Australia there is enormous anecdotal and mounting scientific evidence that introduced carp are the cause of permanent turbidity and loss of submergent vegetation in the Murray-Darling river system, with severe consequences for river ecosystems, water quality and native fish species.

Efforts to eradicate a small colony from a Tasmania's Lake Crescent without chemicals have been successful, however the long-term, expensive and intensive undertaking is an example of the both the possibility and difficulty of safely removing the species once it is established.

Carp have attributes that allow them to be an invasive species - a species that invades and dominates new ecosystems with serious negative effects to the ecosystem and native fauna. The movement and introduction of carp for frivolous reasons such as sport fishing should not be tolerated.

[edit] Eating carp

Carp are popular with anglers in many parts of Europe. Carp is also eaten in many parts of the world both when caught in the wild and raised in fisheries. It is eaten both fresh or frozen.

In the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, a carp is a traditional part of a Christmas dinner.

[edit] Reproduction

An egg-layer, a typical adult fish can lay 300,000 eggs in a single spawning. Research shows that carp can spawn multiple times in a season in some areas. The young are preyed upon by other predatorial fish such as the northern pike and largemouth bass.

[edit] See also

• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

[edit] References

• World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). Cyprinus carpio. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
• Cyprinus carpio (TSN 163344). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 4 October 2004.
• "Cyprinus carpio". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. September 2004 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2004.
• Cyprinus carpio Arkive