Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)- one of the most famous and valuable freshwater fish in the world. It is an important object of fish farming, has a high nutritional value and plays a significant role in the culture of many peoples.
🔹 What is interesting about carp?
✔ One of the oldest objects of fisheries-it was bred in Ancient China
✔ It can reach large sizes-more than 1 m in length and more than 40 kg in weight
✔ It is unpretentious in nutrition and living conditions, which makes it ideal for breeding
✔ It is a distant ancestor of ornamental koi carp
Carp is not just a fish, but a real symbol of good luck, prosperity and skill of fishing. Let's take a closer look at it!
Scientific classification
🔬 Taxonomy of common carp:
✔ The Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)
✔ Type: Chordal (Chordata)
✔ Class: Lucheperi pisces (Actinopterygii)
✔ Row: Carp-like animals (Cypriniformes)
✔ Family: Carp (Cyprinidae)
✔ Gender: Carp (Cyprinus)
✔ View: Cyprinus carpio
📌 Interesting!
Carp has many artificially bred forms, including mirror, scaly and naked carp.
Appearance and anatomy
🔹 Main Features:
✔ Elongated, thick body, slightly flattened at the sides
✔ A large head with a lower mouth surrounded by two pairs of antennae-the organs of touch
✔ The body is covered with large scales (except for the naked carp, which has no scales).
✔ The dorsal fin is long, with a powerful hard ray
🔹 Body color may vary depending on the environment.:
✔ Golden green
✔ Bronze brown
✔ Grey with a silver tint
🔹 Sizes:
✔ Average length: 40-80 cm
✔ Maximum length: 120 cm
✔ Average weight: 2-4 kg
✔ Maximum weight: 40 + kg
📌 High score!
The largest carp was caught in France-its weight was 48 kg!
Range and habitat
🌍 Where does common carp live?
✅ Freshwater bodies in Europe and Asia
✅ Lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers with muddy or sandy bottoms
✅ Artificial reservoirs and fish farms
🔹 Living conditions:
✔ Prefers warm waters (15-25°C)
✔ Lives at depths from 1 to 10 m
✔ Likes stagnant or slow-flowing waters with dense aquatic vegetation
📌 Interesting!
Carp are very hardy-they can survive in water with low oxygen content and even tolerate short-term freezing.
Life cycle and reproduction
🔹 How does the carp live?
✔ Reaches sexual maturity at 3-5 years of age
✔ Live up to 50 years old, although in nature it rarely survives to this age
✔ Leads a bottom-dwelling lifestyle
🔹 Spawning:
✔ Occurs in spring and summer when the water temperature exceeds 18°C
✔ The female lays from From 100,000 to 1,500,000 eggs!
✔ Caviar attaches to aquatic vegetation
📌 Interesting!
Carp fry grow very fast, gaining up to 1 kg already in the first year of life in favorable conditions.
Nutrition and lifestyle
🔹 What does carp eat?
✅ Young people:
* Zooplankton
* Micro-organisms
✅ Adults:
* Small invertebrates (insect larvae, worms, mollusks)
* Algae and aquatic plants
* Organic residues
📌 Interesting!
Carp – omnivorous, so it is often used for cleaning water bodies.
Enemies and threats
🔹 Predators:
Щ Pike
Om Com
Chap herons and other birds of prey
🔹 Major threats to the species:
Zabrudnennya pollution of water bodies
Supramir overfishing
Zmini climate change
📌 Interesting!
Because of its unpretentiousness, carp can survive even in reservoirs contaminated with industrial waste.
Meaning for a person
🌍 Main usage aspects:
✔ One of the most important fish in the fish industry
✔ A source of protein, healthy fats and vitamins
✔ Popular fishing destination
🔹 Culinary value:
✔ Used in fried, baked, smoked form
✔ Main ingredient of traditional dishes (for example, Polish-style carp, stuffed fish)
📌 Interesting!
In Asia, decorative koi carp symbolize courage, endurance and good luck!
Conclusion
🐟 Common carp is the real king of freshwater reservoirs!
It is valued for its high endurance, fast growth, and delicious meat.
💡 Have you ever caught carp? What is your favorite method of cooking this fish? 🍽️🐟
