Silver carp. Silver carp breeding

What does a silver carp look like?

Silver carp
The species received its name for its distinctive external feature: the low set of the eyes on the large head creates the impression that the fish has a very wide forehead. Other characteristic signs of silver carp include the following:

• The large mouth with a fleshy lower lip is located above eye level.
• The length of the head is 20-30% of the total body length.
• There are no teeth in the oral cavity.
• The gill covers are enlarged.
• The body is covered with small, hard scales, the color of which becomes lighter from belly to belly.
• The number of rows of scales along the lateral line is from 92 to 115.
• The keel is clearly visible in the lower part of the body.

The external body structure and dimensions of the subspecies of silver carp are somewhat different.

Types of silver carp

Bighead carp
Currently, you can find descriptions of three varieties of silver carp:

• White . The main distinguishing feature is the silvery color of the scales, which become almost white closer to the abdomen. Adults can grow up to 1 m long and gain weight up to 15-20 kg.
• Motley . The most forehead-shaped species with dark-colored scales. It is almost black on the back, lighter on the sides and belly. Bighead carp may have noticeable spots all over their body. Another distinctive feature of the species is the presence of a keel, which starts near the pectoral fins and reaches the anal fin. The maximum weight of silver carp reaches 40-50 kg with a body length of 1.5 m.
• Hybrid . The hybrid form obtained by crossing the two previous species has a number of advantages: the fish quickly gets accustomed to mixed feed and gains weight well during artificial breeding, is able to remain active at lower water temperatures, and its head size is smaller than that of the original biological forms.

Hybrid silver carp

Features and habitat of silver carp

In the CIS countries you can see three types of silver carp : white, motley and hybrid. Representatives of the species received their name, by and large, because of their characteristic appearance.

So, the silver carp in the photo and in life is quite a light shade. The main distinctive feature of this fish is its unique ability to clean polluted water bodies from the remains of living organisms, excess vegetation, etc.

This is why silver carp are released into polluted ponds, where fishing is then prohibited for a while - the fish need time to clean the pond. This species gains weight very slowly.

In the photo is a silver carp

Bighead carp has a darker shade, and its main feature is its rapid growth. Representatives of the species eat zooplankton and phytoplankton and, precisely because of the amount of food they consume, grow extremely quickly.

Pictured is a bighead carp

The hybrid silver carp, as the name suggests, is a hybrid of the two species described above. The hybrid has the light coloration of the white ancestor and the tendency to grow variegated quickly. All these species are eaten by humans, so you can buy silver carp in any fish store. Over the many years of using fish in this way, many different recipes for preparing silver carp have appeared.

Starting from the usual silver carp fish soup , ending with exquisite ways of preparing individual parts of its body, the head of a silver carp is considered a delicacy. The largest representatives of the species can reach a meter in length and weigh about 50 kilograms.

The photo shows a hybrid silver carp

Initially, silver carp were found only in China, however, due to their beneficial properties, work was carried out on their acclimatization and resettlement throughout Russia. Currently, silver carp can live in almost any river, lake, or pond, as long as the current is not very fast and the water is not very cold.

In autumn, silver carp come close to the shore and bask in the shallows under the rays of the sun. And then, along with the flow of heated water, they move to the bays. In addition, silver carp can stay close to human technical structures that heat water artificially. For example, near power plants that discharge warm water into reservoirs.

How big does silver carp grow?

How quickly does silver carp grow and what size can it reach?

The average lifespan of a fish is 20 years. Maximum weight gain is observed in the first three years. The table shows the size and weight of silver carp depending on age.

The size and growth rate are influenced by living conditions and the availability of sufficient food supply to feed the fish.

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Silver carp habits

White and bigheaded carp lead a gregarious lifestyle. Individuals of different sizes and ages can coexist in groups. The fish is very cautious and timid, prefers to stay away from the shore, and can swim close to the surface of the reservoir in search of food. Closer to autumn it moves to shallow waters with warmer water.

Before the onset of cold weather, flocks look for a place to hide. Areas of a lake or river with minimal flow and a relief bottom are suitable for this. The silver carp finds a pit or ditch and spends the winter in it, sometimes with several individuals of its own species or with other representatives of cyprinids.

Silver carp usually do not show activity in winter; they hardly move and do not feed until the ice melts and the water temperature rises. The exception is the silver carp, which lives near thermal stations that periodically discharge warm water. In such reservoirs winter fishing for silver carp is possible.

Where do silver carp spend the winter?

Silver carp belongs to the carp family. This commercial fish is not yet very common, but it feels very good in our reservoirs. Catching silver carp in winter will give you a lot of pleasure, especially the catch itself. Some individuals can weigh more than 50 kg! The behavior of silver carp is difficult to predict. In response to an unfamiliar sound, he may jump out of the water and find himself in your boat. Winter fishing, we recommend this section of the site. Only a persistent and patient fisherman can catch silver carp, because it is not at all easy.

Catching silver carp in winter is no less interesting. With the onset of cold weather, fish do not lose activity and do not settle in bottom holes.

How and what is the best way to catch silver carp in winter

Only after freeze-up sets in, the silver carp remains almost all the time in the bottom pit, and only occasionally comes out in search of food. Rarely appear in feeding areas. Silver carp feeds on silt, food that is at the very bottom and small crustaceans.

When fishing for silver carp in winter , the best bite is when there is ice or during a thaw. They fish for fish in the depths, almost at the bottom. In winter, silver carp are deliberately not fed, so it may like food provided for other fish. Silver carp bite well on a special bait powder (technoplankton); it is sold in fishing stores. Most often, silver carp are caught in winter using a jig with bloodworms or with vegetative baits, using feeders, donks and girders. Many silver carp have quite a noticeable weight, so fishing equipment must be strong.

Subtleties when catching silver carp

Winter fishing for silver carp requires skill from the fisherman, because the fish does not lose its activity and gives a violent fight back. Resistance weakens only when the fish is exhausted. After this, the silver carp can be easily brought to the hole and removed using a hook.

In winter, silver carp bite starting with a strong pull, while the nod of the fishing rod confidently bends downwards. The fisherman needs to judge the strength of the fish, and if he manages to hook successfully, then be prepared for a long fight. Even in winter, silver carp can fight for quite a long time, so anglers need to stock up on fishing line.

Fishermen who managed to hook a silver carp in winter are afraid that they cannot get a fish of such size out of the hole. Don't be afraid. It is quite possible to pull silver carp, like other fish, onto the ice. When you are fighting silver carp, the line must be kept taut at all times. Over time, the fish will weaken and begin to lie on its side, and then slowly pull it towards the hole. Almost immediately after hooking, a silver carp caught and pulled ashore falls asleep.

Where are silver carp found?

You can meet silver carp in natural conditions in many deep rivers of Europe and Asia. Traditional habitats in the reservoir are shallow, up to 2-3 m, backwaters with well-heated water, no intense current and a soft muddy or sandy bottom with underwater vegetation.

Currently, artificial breeding of silver carp has become widespread. The fish grows quickly, gets along well with other species, and maintains the cleanliness of the reservoir in which it lives. For industrial cultivation of the species, closed reservoirs are usually used: ponds, lakes, reservoirs.

What does silver carp eat?

The silver carp does not have teeth; instead, the oral cavity contains a kind of filter made of gill rakers. The long stamens with transverse partitions are arranged in several rows, practically touching. By passing water through the gills, the fish filters out all edible particles from it.

The diet of adult silver carp is based on phytoplankton; it is classified as a herbivorous fish. In the motley variety of silver carp, the main food is zooplankton or zoobenthos. The difference in diet affects weight indicators: bigheaded silver carp, which receives a large amount of protein, weighs on average 10-20 kg more than white carp.

Unlike adults, fry do not have a fully formed gill filter. In addition, they need large amounts of protein to grow quickly. In this regard, up to a certain point, all types of silver carp are zooplanktivores (they eat the smallest crustaceans, mollusks, daphnia, and cyclops).

For normal weight gain, the fish must eat an amount of food per day equal to 30-40% of its own weight. Silver carps do not compete in nutrition with carp and other fish species used for artificial breeding.

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How do silver carp reproduce in nature?

By the first spawning, silver carp matures at 4-5 years of age. The signal to start spawning is when the water warms up to +18-20 degrees. You can determine when white and bighead carp spawn by the shade of their scales: just before spawning, they become blue-gray.

The species is highly fertile. The amount of eggs directly depends on the size of the individual. Females weighing up to 20 kg throw 2-3 million eggs; young females spawning for the first time ripen up to 500 tons of eggs.

Silver carp eggs are of the pelagic type: they are not attached to plants, but float on the surface of the water. In this regard, the fish looks for places with well-heated running water for spawning. The eggs are light, almost transparent, about 4 mm in diameter. This color of caviar allows it to be less noticeable to a predator. Due to the characteristics of spawning, certain difficulties arise with the natural reproduction of the species in closed reservoirs with stagnant water.

The larvae appear 5-7 days after the spawning of silver carp ends. The formation of the gill filter is completed by the time the fry reaches a length of 5-6 cm. With a sufficient amount of food, weight gain over several months can reach 300-400 grams.

Reproduction and spawning

Sexual maturity in silver carps occurs at 3-5 years of age. The mating period generally occurs in May-June, when the water warms up to 18-20 degrees. During this period, the fish look for a warmer place so that the cold does not damage the eggs.

It should be noted that the fertility of silver carp is very high. Thus, large individuals are capable of producing about 1 million eggs, and small ones - about 500 thousand. At the same time, the female always tries to lay her offspring near the algae so that they cling to them. If the water is well heated, then within a day the first fry will hatch from the eggs. Their length at birth rarely exceeds 5.5 mm.

So, what does a silver carp eat in the wild? It should be noted that this fish begins to eat 4 days after birth. It is during this period that they develop small gills, thanks to which they sift phytoplankton from the water. After the first week, the fish larvae move on to other types of plankton. And only after a month and a half do small silver carps begin to eat adult food.

Features of fishing for silver carp

The fishing period begins in May and lasts until the end of September. The fish is active at a water temperature of about +18-22 degrees. If the habitat familiar to silver carp warms up more, the fish goes deeper. On hot summer days, a good bite is observed only in the morning hours and after the heat subsides.

Fish reacts to changes in atmospheric pressure, so you should choose a calm, sunny day for fishing. In the winter months, you can go out for silver carp immediately after the formation of the first ice, during thaws and before ice drift.

What to catch silver carp with

Usually, a bottom or float fishing rod is used to catch silver carp. For fishing you will need the following gear:

• Fishing rods with a durable rod at least 3.5-4 m long and a powerful spinning reel.
• A fishing line with a diameter of at least 0.3 mm.
• Leashes 10-15 cm long with hooks No. 10-14.
• The sinker is round or teardrop-shaped.

A special bait, technoplankton, will help attract fish to the fishing spot. It is made in the form of a compressed cylinder. Once in the water, the cylinder gets wet, forming a cloudy cloud of particles of plant and animal food. Attracted by technoplankton, the silver carp sucks a food cloud into its mouth and swallows the hook along with it. For successful fishing, you should take well-sharpened sharp hooks, since if a silver carp is pricked with a blunt tip, it can spit out the equipment and lead the entire flock away from danger. When fishing with pressed bait, it is recommended to use a special silver carp stick with a lock for the cylinder and devices for attaching hooks.

Instead of technoplankton, spring feeders are also used to attract fish, which are filled with porridge with flour or a special mixture. Bait with hooks should be located in the optimal fishing horizon, which is at a depth of 0.5 to 1 m.

During winter fishing for silver carp, it is recommended to use bloodworms, worms, and maggots as bait.

Fertility

Silver carp reaches sexual maturity by the age of six. Its fertility is from 400 to 500 thousand eggs. Silver carp spawn from the end of June to the end of August at a water temperature of about 25-30°C, while it spawns in portions - three times during the summer. Eggs of silver carp females are deposited in the upper layers of water, where they develop.

Photo of silver carp caviar

In recent years, scientific work has been carried out on hybridization in herbivorous fish. Hybrids of bigheaded and silver carp are interesting for breeding. These fish differ from the parent forms: they are more resistant to low temperatures, these hybrids retain the growth rate characteristic of bighead carp.

Nutritional value and calorie content of silver carp

Silver carp meat is fatty and tender. Its energy value depends on the processing method: boiled, stewed or baked fillet contains 86 kcal per 100 g, smoked - 115 kcal, fried - 190 kcal.

The beneficial properties of dishes prepared from silver carp are provided by vitamins (A, E, B, PP), minerals (molybdenum, chromium, phosphorus, calcium, iron and others), and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Silver carp is the only freshwater species that contains fat identical in composition to that of sea fish. Regular consumption of silver and bigheaded carp helps reduce the amount of bad cholesterol.

When choosing silver carp, you should take into account that its fat content increases with age. Thus, in small fish the percentage of fat does not exceed 4.5-5%, in medium-sized fish it ranges from 8 to 13%, in large fish it can reach 22-23.5%. The fat content of meat also depends on the season: silver carp caught in the fall before leaving for the winter contains much more fat than fish after spawning.

Silver carp, like many freshwater species, is a bony fish. Small bones are especially annoying in small, not fully formed individuals. To make eating fish safer and more enjoyable, before frying or baking, deep cuts are made on the carcass from the back to the ribs. The distance between cuts is 5-10 mm.

Silver carp is suitable for stewing, baking, frying, making fish soup and aspic. Due to the high fat content, large carcasses produce very tasty balyk.

The taste and benefits of fish will be preserved after freezing.

PELENGAS

Valuable food product

The energy value of 100 grams of raw silver carp is 86 Kcal. Depending on the cooking method, age and size of the fish, this figure changes. For example, when stewing, calorie content drops by 10 kcal, and when frying, it rises by 15.

Fish meat over 5 years old is considered fattier and therefore has a higher energy value. At the same time, silver carp meat is rich in proteins and carbohydrates that are useful for digestion, which are easily absorbed by the body. In addition, it is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 acids, vitamins B, E and D, provitamin A, and contains large quantities of phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc and sulfur.

Omega-3 and omega-6 acids, when consumed regularly, prevent the formation of malignant tumors, nervous disorders, the development of cardiovascular failure, hypertension, and reduce cholesterol levels to normal levels. A huge amount of minerals can improve the growth of nails, hair, nails, promotes reparative regeneration, in particular of the skin, stimulates the production of iron-containing hemoglobin, which performs a gas exchange function and removes toxic substances.

Patients with hypertension, diabetes, and gout are recommended to eat silver carp meat. A diet containing large amounts of silver carp meat has a positive effect on the body.

For diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, gout, gastritis, or low acidity, it is also recommended to eat boiled, steamed, or stewed silver carp. Reductions in sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure are observed within a few weeks.

Interesting facts about silver carp

• The largest silver carp caught in Hungary weighed 77.5 kg.
• The hatchery origin of silver carp ensures its improved biological characteristics, including increased fertility and rapid weight gain.
• To gain 1 kg of weight, a fish needs to eat 30 kg of food.

In the homeland of the silver carp, it is called the water goat for a similar feeding style: the fish slowly moves around the reservoir, collecting plant food.

What does silver carp eat in nature? Breeding and propagation of silver carp

In the carp family there is an amazing silver carp fish. Due to its gregarious lifestyle and large weight, it has become a favorite of many fishermen. That is why they study her habits and lifestyle so closely. In particular, many of them are interested in what the silver carp eats.

In addition, the answer to this question will not only improve the efficiency of hunting for it, but will help you understand how to properly beg for it in captivity. But let's talk about everything in order.