An Overview of Carp

Common carp with the scientific name Cyprinus carpio is one of the many freshwater fish. The main birthplace of this fish is commonly thought to have originated in Asia and was later introduced to Europe, North America and elsewhere regions. They can grow up to 120 cm and reach a weight of 37300 grams at the age of 47. Although they are resistant to various environmental conditions, they prefer a large amount of water with a slow or stagnant flow, and of course, they prefer succulents and bedding plants. They tend to be in groups of 5 or more and naturally live in temperate climates in fresh and salty waters with a pH of 7.5-7.5 and a hardness of 10-15. Their adapt temperature range is between 3-24 degrees Celsius. Camphor is omnivorous and eats almost everything it comes across. They enjoy eating plant seeds, aquatic plants, insects, crustaceans, or dead fish.

The Carp family (Cyprinidae) is one of the most important families of freshwater fish. This family is the largest family of fish and includes 220 genera and 2420 species [1]. Almost all its members belong to fresh water or if they live in brackish water, they need to enter fresh water for reproduction, and one of the most important fish belonging to this family is the common carp. The wild populations of this fish are decreasing and are in danger, but in many areas, the artificial reproduction of this fish is carried out in high volumes, and in some parts of the world, it has entered new habitats unnaturally and has become an invasive species and causes damage. Reaching native species in those areas. Carp can be considered the largest freshwater fish species in terms of the extent of the breeding countries.

The Caspian Sea, it’s a watershed in natural form and many rivers and internal reservoirs in artificial form. There are three common carp forms in the southern basin of the Caspian Sea. A marine form that migrates to rivers to reproduce. The form lives in freshwater that exists in the Anzali wetland and some wetlands in Mazandaran (Lepoi Zaghmarz) and the third form, the breeding form exists throughout the coasts of the southern basin of the Caspian Sea and has also been seen in inland waters throughout Iran. It’s most natural distribution in Iran belongs to the southeast of the Caspian Sea, namely Gorgan Bay and Gamishan Lagoon [1-5].

Body shape:

• Dorsal fin has 3-4 hard radii and 17-23 soft radii
• Denominator fin with 2-3 hard radii and 5-6 soft radii
• Pectoral fin with 1 hard radius and 14-18 soft radii
• Ventral fin with 2 hard rays and 7-8 soft rays
• The caudal fin has two branches.
• Gill rakes (27-28 gill rakers).
• There are 33-39 scales on the lateral line, and there are 5-6 rows of scales each above and below the lateral line.
• End type mouth
• The number of beads is 36-37
• It has two pairs of whiskers.
• Very sharp caudal fin
• It has a pharyngeal tooth with the formula 1.1.3 = 3.1.1, which is strong, mill-shaped with a flat or grooved crown.
• Large and thick scales
• The wild type is thinner
• The body form of this species is very diverse in terms of body shape, color, scale form, body proportions, fins, etc., the body color is mostly gray to bronze.
• Sea carp are yellow on both sides and under the belly, and river specimens are often phromsophum. The back surface of the body is olive brown.
• Tail fin has 3 hard rays and 17-19 soft rays
• The last soft radius of the pubic fin is bony and toothed towards the back.
• The cultivated form has a wide body and the wild form that exists in the Caspian Sea has an elongated body.

Size: The maximum total length is 120 cm and the common average total length is 31 cm. The highest reported weight is 40.1 kg. In Anzali lagoon in 1371-1372, its average length was measured to be 38 cm. It was reported from 19.7 to 76.5 cm with a weight of 157.1 to 7250 grams on the Mazandaran coast in 2013.

Life span: Common carp live up to 48 years. It has been registered in Iran for up to 9 years. Most of the fish caught in 1373-1374 was 3 and 4 years old.

Food: It is omnivorous. They consume a wide range of foods. In wetlands and breeding ponds, it is mostly from Shironomide and in the Caspian Sea from molluscs, crustaceans, worms and decaying plant and animal matter.

Genetics: The number of diploid/zygotic chromosomes (2n) is 100-100, and haploid/gametic chromosomes (n) is 50.

• Behavioral characteristics: harmless to humans, but may spread as a pest. It is most active at sunrise and sunset.

Normal swimming speed is 0.59 m/s and explosive swimming speed is 1.64 m/s.

Reproduction of common carp: Their maturity starts at 25 to 36 cm.

It matures at 3-4 years old. In Iran, its reproduction starts in spring from May and continues until early July. In the southern basin of the Caspian Sea, in the Anzali wetland, the migration period is from the end of May to the end of June, and in the Qarasu River and Gorgan River from April to the end of May. The ideal temperature for reproduction is 17 to 23 degrees Celsius.

It spawns in marginal, shallow and grassy waters.

As a result of selective mating or environmental conditions, there are different breeds and types.

The common carp is polygamous and the spawning female is chased by several males. In warm waters, carp can spawn throughout the year, but in temperate waters, it spawns in a specific season.

Females lay more than a million eggs in one season. They need plant tissue for spawning. Reproductive migrations have been seen in them.

Eggs hatch in 4 days at 15-20 degrees Celsius. Larvae have a vital need for very warm water and submerged plant tissues in shallow water.

Absolute homogeneity is from 96 thousand to 1.8 million eggs, depending on the location and size of the producer.

Eggs are sticky and stick to plants and other objects [6-15].

It is caught with various methods such as fly fishing. The largest number of catches is in the southeast of the Caspian Sea.

Common carp is of economic importance. Fish is an important food. About 2,000 tons of it are caught on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, and every year a large number of artificially bred fish are released in the rivers of the southern Caspian Basin.

Its reproduction and breeding is important in Iran and the world.

It is an attractive fish for sport fishing.

It is possible to keep in public aquariums larger than 2 meters in length [16-19].

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