Common carp
Cyprinus carpio
FAMILY
Cyprinidae
TAXONOMY
Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758, Europe.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Carp, German carp, European carp, mirror carp, leather carp, leatherback, German bass.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Size moderate to large, usually 11.8–15.74 in (30–40 cm) in body length. Body robust, compressed laterally. Snout long; mouth of moderate size reaching to below nostril. Two barbels on each side of upper jaw, smaller one from edge of snout, larger one near corner of mouth. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows; larger teeth molarlike. Gill rakers 21–27. Dorsal fin long, 4 spines, 15–23 branched rays; anal fin short, 3 spines, 5 branched rays. Back of last dorsal and anal spines serrated. Lateral line complete, with 32–41 scales. The usual longevity of the carp is 9–15 years; maximum observed longevity is 47 years. Brassy olive above, lower sides golden yellow; belly yellow-white. Basal half of caudal and anal fins often reddish; stronger coloration in adults.
DISTRIBUTION
Native to Asia from the Amur River to North Vietnam. It was carried to Europe just before and after the beginning of the common era. Its introduction to the American continent took place during the first half of the nineteenth century. By now it has been transplanted all over the world.
HABITAT
Lives in a wide variety of habitats, including ponds, lakes, streams, and large rivers. It can tolerate a very low concentration of oxygen and high salinity. Normally, it prefers shallow, warm waters with aquatic plants over cold, small streams with fast-running water.
BEHAVIOR
Usually live in lower part or bottom of waters. In spring and autumn, they form schools. Though they need not migrate to rivers for reproduction, some fish can swim very long distances (up to 1,012 mi [1,629 km]).
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Typically omnivorous and a benthic feeder. Food diet includes macrophytes, detritus and algae, molluscs, aquatic insects and their larvae, minute crustaceans, and small fishes.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Males mature usually by the second year of life in Asia, third or fourth year in Europe. Females require an additional year for maturation. Spawning may occur when water temperature reaches 64.4°F (18°C). Another prerequisite for spawning is
the vegetation. Flood waters usually stimulate spawning. Spawning groups are composed of one female and one or more males. The males initiate the spawning act by repeatedly pushing their heads against the body of the female. On stimulation by the males, the female responds by raising her caudal peduncle and tail. Her tail lashes violently, and as she propels herself forward, she scatters the eggs over the vegetation. Simultaneously, the males come along the side of the female with their tail region proximate to the female genital opening and, by violent movements of their tail region, discharge their milts. The eggs are released gradually, in batches of 3–4, within a period of 3–4 days if the weather is good, or 2 to 3 weeks if spawning is interrupted by cold, cloudy, or windy spells. The eggs are attached to the vegetation and hatch after 2.5 to 3 days (water temperature 68–77°F [20–25°C]). For the first two days after hatching, the larvae stay on the grass quietly. On the third day, their air-bladders begin to get air. On the fourth day, the yolk-sac is nearly gone and the larvae begin to feed. The period of planktonic feeding is short; juveniles take invertebrate food from the bottom after reaching a length of 0.79 in (2 cm). Forty days later, with the body covered with scales and barbels appearing, the fish look very much like adults. Fecundity varies from 59,000 to 1,579,000 eggs per individual.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN. Due to artificial hybridization and transplantation, the genetic resources of common carp have been seriously damaged. Many different local varieties (e.g., red carp, glass carp) have been contaminated genetically.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
This is the earliest domesticated fish species. Ancient Chinese began to culture the common carp around 200 B.C. As this species is considered a symbol of happiness and good fortune in China, it is still common as wedding gift, particularly in rural areas. The Japanese colored carp, koi, had its origin in Japan between A.D. 794 and 1184. It is now one of the most common ornamental fishes in the world.
Some local varieties are important as a source of food, while others are important in the aquarium trade. The common carp is also an important game fish.





