Carp fish got its name not by chance; in Greek Greek carp is “fruit” or “harvest”. Individuals really well fatten and quickly gain weight. In addition, they are very prolific. The fish are large, the average live weight is 2 kg, although more impressive specimens are often found. Today, carp are bred both for sale and as an object of sports and amateur fishing.
Origin
Carp belongs to a subspecies of ray-fin fish of the cyprinidae family. In fact, it is a cultural form of river carp. Unlike the wild ancestor, carps are more tenacious and prolific. This species of fish (carps) began to be bred in ancient China. Long-term selection gave the result: the shape of the head and body changed, the scales became larger. The success of fish farming in ponds contributed to its distribution from China, first in the Asian region, and then it received a “residence permit” in Europe. In the 19th century, carp was introduced to the American continent.
Description
Carp fish (photo - in the text) is a pretty nice representative of the river open spaces. The color of the scales depends on the habitat and can be brown, golden or yellow-green. The back is darker than the sides. Some species lack scales.
Description of carp fish:
- Torso. In young individuals, the body is flat and hunchbacked. With age, it takes the form of a cylinder. This is characteristic of river inhabitants. Pond - shorter and thicker.
- Head. Large, eyes yellow-golden hue, the pupils are black, the mouth is retractable, on the upper lip there are two pairs of mustaches. The lips are fleshy, thick.
- Fins. Dorsal - long and wide, with a small notch, anal - short. Both fins have a spiky serrated beam. The lower fins are usually dark purple (in the river). Caudal - powerful, dark red
Intensive growth in the first year of life allows the fish to “lengthen” by 20 cm, while the weight can reach 1 kg (with artificial fattening). Life expectancy is up to 50 years. During this time, the carp manages to grow to 1 meter and gain an average of 25 kg.
Carp - schooling fish. Young growth is collected in groups of several dozen goals. Large, several hundred, communities are rare. Large individuals prefer to stay alone. With the onset of cold weather, they are combined into groups for joint wintering. How do fish winter? Carps in the cold season can be observed in deep holes, where they are half asleep, they stand almost motionless. A thick layer of mucus helps to survive the cold. Fish do not suffocate under a layer of ice in low oxygen water. Fish awakens from hibernation only at the end of March, in April in the more northern regions. And at first it does not sail far from the pit.
In windy weather, the noise of reeds and trees makes carps swim alone. The fish are very careful and shy. Compared to other species, they swim relatively slowly. A characteristic feature of carp is acrobatic jumping over water. Adult experienced fishes distinguish the noise of footsteps on the shore. The ability to hear is used in fish farms. Pisces are taught to swim for feeding by the sound of a bell. In addition, the carp is able to see not only the shadow of the hunter and fishing rod, but even make out the fishing line. He knows how to jump out of networks. Hearing how they are thrown, the fish instantly rushes to the depths.
Varieties
Over several millennia, a huge number of breeds have been bred. Only 80 are considered to be decorative ones. The main fish species of carps:
- Mirrored. The result of a mutation of common carp obtained in Germany. A characteristic feature is the arrangement in rows of silvery large scales along the lateral line and back. It can live in well-aerated water, this is due to a lack of blood cells. They do not like depth, keep in shallow water. This breed most often carry out the stocking of artificial ponds.
- Leathery, or naked. There is no scale on the body of the fish. Some individuals in small numbers have them near the dorsal fin, gill cover and base of the tail.
- Ordinary, or scaly. The very first cultivated variety. Differences from carp are minimal. He is the ancestor of all the other numerous forms of cyprinids obtained as a result of mutations and crossbreeding experiments. This species is a record holder in terms of growth and ability to survive in a variety of conditions. Can live in shallow standing ponds, deep pits or flowing rivers.
- Frame. Scales cover individual parts of the body: belly and back. Moreover, the size of the scales is very "diverse". By other signs, it is similar to ordinary.
- Koi, or brocade. Decorative fish of the carp family, its homeland is Japan. The first individuals had a limited range of colors. There were three main colors: red, black and white. Currently, in garden ponds you can see carps with a very unusual color, including a combined one.
Habitat
Carp is a river fish; it lives in the basins of the rivers of the Caspian, Black, Aral and Azov Seas. It is found in Central Asia, Siberia, Ukraine is present in almost all rivers, but not in large numbers. It can inhabit almost any, even contaminated water bodies. In northern Europe, fish is not found, as it is thermophilic. Carp is in Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Australia, USA.
Places where you can often find carp:
- lakes, ponds and quiet river backwaters with a moderately silted uneven bottom;
- grassy shallow water;
- nearby floating islands;
- deep and wide ducts with a weak course;
- valley reservoirs;
- flooded old gravel and sand quarries;
- flooded fields;
- reservoirs with a muddy or clay bottom, with a large number of snags;
- thickets of water plants (reeds).
Likes water with high oxygen content. Very rarely, fish can be observed in slightly salted water, but this happens under extreme circumstances (for example, a dam break). When the water warms up well, the carp goes into shallow water and areas with the flow. In the summer it keeps at a depth of 2-5 meters, in the fall it drops to 10, in the winter it goes even deeper into the pits.
The presence of carp in a particular reservoir is confirmed by its jumping out of the water. At the same time, the sound resembles a sharp croaking of a frog; it cannot be confused with any other. The fish pops up to a height of 2 meters, almost vertically. What is the purpose of these acrobatic jumps is not known exactly, perhaps this is a kind of physical training.
Spawning
Wintering ends in spring flood, when the water temperature rises to 10 degrees. Carps spawn in areas overgrown with depths of up to 2 meters. Small swamps, water meadows, sometimes puddles, where the water level does not even cover the fish, are quite suitable. For breeding, it is not enough to reach the appropriate age (3-5 years), you also need to grow up. Males cannot be smaller than 29 cm, females are larger - 35 cm. The spawning sequence is strictly defined, first a trifle, then middle peasants, and finally the largest individuals.
Spawning is possible when the water warms up to 16-19 ° C. When cooling in the northern regions, spawning is interrupted. Active spawning begins at sunset and lasts for 12 hours. The beginning of the mating season depends on the climatic zone. In warm areas - in April-May, in Siberia - in July. Caviar of one “mother” is fertilized by up to 5 males. The fertility of carps is striking; a large female is capable of producing up to one and a half million eggs. The washed-up caviar is immediately poured with milk, after which the carps leave the spawning area and behave passively for the next two weeks.
Larvae hatch from sticky eggs. Attach to plants and remain on it for a while. Then they begin to move, zooplankton serves as food. The grown-up youth is already moving to the small living creatures that live at the bottom. Development and growth are proceeding at an accelerated pace; by autumn, young growth is gaining weight up to 500 grams.
Feed base
Carp is an omnivorous fish. After hibernation, it starts feeding at a water temperature of 14-15 ° C. For food it comes up in shallow water in the early morning and late evening. In cloudy weather it can be fed all day. At night it sinks into the pits.
Adult individuals eat eggs of other species of fish, frogs, small fish, worms, insects, sometimes crayfish, mollusks, crustaceans, larvae. In the absence of sufficient feed, it feeds on mucus from the surface of plants, manure (near watering holes). There are cases of cannibalism, adult fish can destroy fry. Preference is given to young shoots of reeds.
A feature of carp is hypersensitivity to odors. Another nuance is the digestive system. Under favorable conditions, the fish is able to eat almost without a break. Large individuals hunt alone, young animals are grouped in flocks - it is easier to resist predators, and hunting is more successful. Surprisingly, with an extensive list of taste preferences of the carp, it is not easy to choose the bait for its fishing.
Breeding
There are several ways to breed fish. Carps are fed according to different systems:
- Extensive. With this option, the fish feeds only on natural feeds - bottom fauna, zooplankton and others. The increase in live weight is negligible, but the product is of high quality, environmentally friendly. Another plus is the minimal cost.
- Semi-intensive. In addition to natural food, fish receives carbohydrate supplements. Although such nutrition does not completely satisfy the fish's need for protein, productivity is significantly higher (700-1400 kg / ha) than with an extensive feeding system.
- Intense Carp fish is fed with special feed with a very high protein content. At the highest financial costs, they get a high result - up to 20 tons per hectare. Additional costs are spent on maintaining cleanliness in the ponds, otherwise diseases and massive pestilence of fish are inevitable.
Catching
Carp is a strong and very careful fish. She often becomes the object of sport fishing. A few secrets from experienced anglers:
- the best time for fishing is summer, he loves warm water;
- in spring it is better to look for it in streams flowing into the reservoir, a good food base keeps it here until spawning begins;
- more likely to catch fish in deep areas with an uneven surface near snags or shallow water overgrown with grass;
- it is easier to catch in turbid water, the carp behaves bolder in it;
- fishing from the shore requires silence, especially for small ponds;
- constantly changing predilections make fishermen often experiment with lure, baits and equipment;
- in winter fishing, sliding equipment is relevant, it is more sensitive and will respond to a very inexpressive bite;
- complementary foods are carried out in the daytime and at different depths;
- on warm summer nights on sandbanks, the chance of catching fish increases;
- for the preparation of complementary foods, it is better to use water from the reservoir of the alleged fishing;
- juice of canned corn is well added to the bait, let it infuse for 10 minutes before use;
- the most intense bite begins 7-10 days after spawning;
- a change in weather affects the bite of the fish;
- the best bite is in cloudy weather, after a thunderstorm, or during a short summer rain.
For complementary foods use:
- maggots;
- a worm;
- bloodworm;
- corn;
- pellets (special granules, can be used as bait and as complementary foods);
- potatoes;
- dough;
- boilies (balls of dough of various colors, smells, tastes and diameters)
- peas.
Compound feed is often used to feed mirror carp. Catch with different gear:
- fishing rod;
- match milk yield (from 4 to 6 m) with inertialess coil;
- donkoy;
- two-handed spinning.
Carp in cooking
Probably, almost everyone knows what carp fish tastes like. The characteristic aftertaste during prolonged storage of the carcass may increase. Therefore, it is better to use fresh live fish. Affordable, it is prepared in a variety of ways: fried, boiled, baked in the oven, stuffed, poured jelly, dried, marinated. Doctors do not recommend eating carp without heat treatment, as dangerous parasites in fish are not uncommon.
100 grams of product contains:
- proteins - 16 g;
- fats - 5.3 g;
- carbohydrates - 0 g;
- Vitamin A - 0.02 mg;
- Vitamin B 1 - 0.14 mg;
- Vitamin B 2 - 0.13 mg;
- Vitamin PP - 1.80 mg;
- sodium - 55 mg;
- potassium - 265 mg;
- calcium - 35 mg;
- magnesium - 25 mg;
- phosphorus - 210 mg;
- iron - 0.8 mg;
- calorie content - 112 kcal.
Low calorie content and lack of carbohydrates allow you to include carp dishes in all kinds of diets. It is recommended for problems with digestion, diabetes, thyroid diseases. Fish is good for the skin and mucous membranes. It has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and is an excellent antioxidant. Increases the level of oxygen consumption by cells in chronic and acute hypoxia, is involved in the metabolism of fats. Fish fillet is perfectly absorbed by the human body.
Curious facts
Carp is characterized by rare bony, in its body there are fifteen thousand bones. Different countries have their own customs associated with fish:
- many residents of European countries consider it necessary to put a dish of carp on a Christmas table;
- for Italians, this is the food of lovers;
- among the Poles - a symbol of strength;
- among the Chinese - the personification of perseverance;
- among the Japanese on May 5 - on the day of boys on the poles hang an image of a carp.
Some interesting facts about decorative koi carps:
- record holder, long-lived, world-famous Japanese fish Hanako, who lived for more than 200 years, was passed on to heirs from generation to generation and was considered a family jewel;
- fish produce ammonia;
- koi can recognize their masters by steps;
- it’s easy to train them to take food from their hands;
- they love affection very much and with pleasure "communicate" with the owner;
- around the world hold exhibitions with the participation of koi, where not only the exterior is evaluated, but also such an indicator as loyalty to a person;
- in Japan, each fish has its own name, most often very poetic.
