Dishes prepared from fish of the Karpov family can become a wonderful decoration for the holiday table. But not every guest will be able to understand the difference between carp and carp.
Are you preparing carp fish?
- Yes 83%, 2440 votes
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- No 9%, 254 votes
254 votes 9%
254 votes - 9% of all votes
- I will cook according to your recipes 4%, 130 votes
130 votes 4%
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- I don't eat fish 3%, 102 votes
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Total votes: 2926
26.06.2020
- Yes 83%, 2440 votes
2440 votes 83%2440 votes - 83% of all votes
- No 9%, 254 votes
254 votes 9%
254 votes - 9% of all votes
- I will cook according to your recipes 4%, 130 votes
130 votes 4%
130 votes - 4% of all votes
- I don't eat fish 3%, 102 votes
102 votes 3%
102 votes - 3% of all votes
Total votes: 2926
26.06.2020
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External differences
Many people believe that it is impossible to distinguish carp from carp. This makes sense since they are distant relatives. But upon closer examination of the photo depicting them, you can notice quite a lot of differences. Among the external signs the following are distinguished:
- One of the main ones is the presence of scales. The carp always has it, and all the plates are the same color. In carp - not in all individuals, but if there is, then on the belly it is lighter than on the back. Over the years, the brightness of the shades intensifies.
- How else does carp differ from carp? The difference in size and shape is noticeable to the naked eye if you put two representatives of the aquatic world side by side for comparison. Carp have a thicker belly and can grow to impressive sizes. This is due to his lack of a stomach. He has to constantly eat so as not to feel hungry. In addition, with age it stops growing. But the carp, on the contrary, is becoming longer and longer, its shape stretches with age.
Interesting! The average life expectancy, weight and length of carp are 32 years, 70 cm and 6 kg, and for carp - 32 years, 45 cm and 4 kg.
Differences in external features
In terms of internal and external characteristics, carp and its cultural form, carp, are the same fish, but some differences still exist.
Carp
The carp has a powerful, moderately long and strong body, which is covered with large dark yellow-golden scales. The scales are edged with a black border, and dark spots are located at the base. Carp does not stop growing in length when it reaches a certain age, unlike carp.
Carp
Carp has large scales, pale yellow in color, and a more rounded body.
Some types of carp may not have scales at all or have them in small quantities. Upon reaching a certain age, carp stop growing and only continue to gain weight. And the difference in body shape is not surprising. The majority of carp live in rivers, lead a wild lifestyle, and are forced to move a lot in search of food. Therefore, his body is longer, leaner and more muscular. Carp artificially grown in reservoirs do not need to move much: there is no or weak current, they are usually fed enough so that it grows quickly. Therefore, his body is rounder and thicker.
Differences in fishing and habitat
The most important difference between carp and carp is their habitat. Carp prefers stagnant bodies of water. A low oxygen concentration of 4 mg/l is acceptable for them. A pond, lake, reservoir - everything is ideal, the main thing is that there is a large amount of algae at the bottom. There it stays throughout the day and only at night it gets closer to the surface to find food for itself.
Fishermen have to work hard to catch carp. Not only does it rarely surface from the bottom, but it is also unknown how it will react to specific weather conditions. It is also unpredictable in taste preferences. Of the abundance of treats, the best bait for him are peas, corn bread, berries and undercooked potatoes.
Carp, in turn, likes other places: rivers, bodies of water with flow. A high oxygen concentration is very important for them. Comfortable for their life – 6-7 mg/l. It is recommended to catch them using strong running tackle or a donk. To be able to catch, you need to sit still and silent. Because thanks to its excellent vision, this fish notices the movements of fishermen and set traps through the water.
Fisherman's advice! To catch a carp, you will have to work hard, as it has sharp teeth and fins. Such a fish will not give up easily and simply, it can break the fishing line and swim away.
Types of carp
Carp, like common carp, has a body completely covered with scales, the color of which depends on the characteristics of its habitat. The scales are lighter in color on the belly and much darker on the back, and with age the contrasting difference only intensifies.
Depending on the spawning sites, the following types of carp are distinguished:
- Residential. Lives in rivers or in seas where rivers flow into them, where the water is not very salty. Spawns in the same place where it lives.
- Semi-through. This type of carp is distinguished by the fact that during spawning it migrates from seas to rivers.
Number of bones
Many dishes are prepared from carp and carp. If cooked correctly, they turn out quite tasty. But before choosing fish, many housewives are interested in the number of bones in them.
Freshwater fish are usually bony, with a large number of small bones in their backs. But since both carp and carp are large fish, most of the bones are thick and easy to pick out. The main ones are the ridge and large side ones. One thing that may alert you is that many bones are Y-shaped and sharp. However, there are many ways of cooking so that they are not felt at all.
general information
Carp is a domesticated form of carp, so we can say that we are talking about the same species of fish of the carp family - Cyprinus carpio.
Carp and carp grow to quite impressive sizes for a freshwater fish - there are individuals weighing about 30 kg, but most often the population is represented by smaller specimens - up to 8-10 kg. Sexual maturity occurs at approximately 4 years of age, earlier in males than in females.
Both representatives lead a predominantly bottom-dwelling lifestyle and have a similar diet , in which plant foods predominate, but insect larvae and small crustaceans are also present, so the principles of catching them are also largely similar . Both carp and carp have an excellent sense of smell, so when searching for food they focus mainly on it.
On the upper lip of these fish there are a pair of small whiskers that act as taste buds. Carp and carp are most active in the warm season; in winter they practically do not feed, remaining in wintering pits and not moving around the reservoir.
Which one is healthier?
It is almost impossible to distinguish carp from carp by taste. The only thing is that the first meat is a little softer. Its sweetness is clearly expressed in the dishes. But if the fish grew up in a silted, untreated pond, then the taste of rotten algae will be present.
If the fish was grown in clean water, it will not only be tasty, but also healthy. The meat of these fish contains many vitamins, beneficial microelements, and minerals:
- ascorbic acid;
- vitamins A, B and D;
- thiamine;
- cobalamin
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- iron, etc.
Despite this, there are differences in the chemical composition. Carp meat is a dietary, low-calorie meat. 100 grams contain less than one hundred kilocalories. Its use has a positive effect on the functioning of the kidneys and liver, the cardiovascular system, helps strengthen the immune system and improve well-being.
Important! Nursing mothers and young children should include this fish in their diet with caution to prevent allergies.
Carp has medium fat content. Due to the large amount of zinc in meat, it also has a beneficial effect on the body’s antiviral system, and also improves protein synthesis and reduces cholesterol deposits. To preserve the beneficial properties, it is better to avoid freezing the product.
The benefits and harms of meat
Carp meat contains many macro and micro nutrients: chromium, iron, and magnesium. There are 98 calories per 100 grams of fish, 42 grams of proteins and class A nutrients.
There is practically no natural fat in meat, carbohydrates are completely absent. Carp meat is an excellent dish for anyone who wants to lose weight!
A diet containing carp meat helps prevent:
- Gastritis.
- Heart and vision problems.
- Excess weight.
Meat is popular in the Middle Kingdom due to its healing properties. The taste of fish depends on the environment where it was caught. Dirt cannot be removed; heat treatment and water rinsing will not correct the situation.
Domesticated form of carp
Carp and carp belong to the carp family. However, the difference is that the second is a species, and the first is a subspecies, resulting from the domestication and cultivation of the first. It is bred for industrial purposes and for recreational fishing.
You can find a large number of carp species:
- Nowadays, koi carp have become especially popular. They are also called brocade carps. Originating from Amur carp in the process of breeding and selection work of Japanese peasants, they are distinguished by a special bright and decorative appearance. Due to this, many collectors love them, and photos with them are popular on the Internet.
- The king or mirror, which occurs during the domestication of the European carp, is easily recognized due to its naked body with only a few rows of scales.
- Naked (leathery) completely without scales.
- Silver is distinguished by its small size and light-colored scales. Domesticated ornamental goldfish for aquariums were subsequently bred from it.
- The humpback gets its name from the shape of its back. It is arched.
- Silver has a large number of bones, which is why it is practically not eaten. At one point, the population increased so quickly that American authorities had to take action to prevent them from entering the Great Lakes.
- The common one has a medium length, a thick body, which is covered with scales of various colors: yellow, green, brown.
Types of carp
Selective selection carried out by humans had the goal of breeding from carp such a breed of fish so that it would be more convenient to breed on an industrial scale. Thus the carp was born.
There are the following types of carp:
- Ordinary. This type of carp is most often confused with carp, since their appearance has a lot in common - the entire body of an ordinary (also called scaly) carp is covered with scales, the color of which largely depends on the characteristics of the reservoir in which it lives - from golden to light -brown.
- Mirror. This species is easily distinguishable from the carp by the absence of scales on most of the body - they are located only on the back, at the gills and caudal fin, as well as along the midline of the body. Mirror carp is found less frequently than common carp, and it is also usually smaller in size.
- Naked. The body of this type of carp has even fewer scales than the mirror carp, which prevents its confusion with carp. It is less common than mirror carp and is also considered the least adapted species to live in environmental conditions close to natural ones.
Useful properties and differences
When we go fishing, and we are, of course, talking about clean reservoirs with favorable conditions, we do not even suspect that fish may even have healing properties. Therefore, the question of whether carp or carp is healthier arises quite often. It is difficult to answer this unequivocally, because it all depends on the habitat, size and age, but in any case, both mustachioed giants contain a large vitamin complex, where vitamin A and ascorbic acid deserve special attention. It would also be worthwhile to dwell in more detail on cobalamin, thiamine and other B vitamins; ascorbic acid and other vitamins are contained in sufficient quantities. The mineral composition is also rich, and even though there is not much iodine in cyprinids, other micro- and macroelements completely cover this deficiency.
The question of which is better, although it sounds often, looks a little strange. It depends on what meaning we put into this concept. Externally, carp has a more rounded shape, and carp, if we can say about these giants, grows longer. They are equally voracious, although they have different taste preferences. As for the peculiarities of fishing, they exist, but fishing lovers know about it. Lovers of good food are interested in what tastes better, to which there is also no clear answer - fish has a dense consistency and white meat with a pronounced fishy smell, and much in this case depends on the skill of the cook. You can cook fish in any way and eat it with almost any side dish, and if you are still looking for the difference, then know that in many countries fishermen combine these species into one concept - many of them have not even heard of what a carp is.
General description of the species
A feature of the carp family is the absence of a stomach. Therefore, they spend all their time looking for food. The fish is relatively large, growing from 30 cm to 1 meter in size, and can weigh 15–20 kg. Occasionally, specimens up to 1.5 meters long and weighing up to 35 kilograms are encountered.
They live a long time, up to 30–35 years, but the main increase in weight and size occurs in the first quarter of life. It has a massive thick body covered with scales (in some subspecies it is rare). The color of the scales varies depending on the habitat.
Both carp and carp have sensitive organs of fascination and touch. They are able to sense the vibrations of moths at a distance of up to 10 meters. They have four thick and short antennae on the upper lip, on which taste buds are located.
Receptors are also scattered throughout the body: on the belly, fins and in the anus area. They see well and can be spooked by movement in clear water within 10 meters of them. Therefore, when catching them, it is necessary to maintain silence and take camouflage measures.
The head is large, rounded and blunt, the mouth is retractable. The lips are fragile; when sharply hooked, small fish often remain on the hook. In the mouth there are 3 rows of pharyngeal teeth (3 in the inner row, 1 tooth in both outer rows). With them, carp and carp can chew the seeds of plants and shellfish.
The dorsal fin is long, its base begins along the vertical line of the anterior edge of the ventral fins. In the dorsal and short anal fin there is an ossified ray with serrations in front. Because of this, there is a belief that this fish can cut the fishing line and tear the net with its fin and do this intentionally.
In fact, this is a simple accident; during a sharp turn, cyprinids can touch the fishing line with their fin, especially small specimens. The fins are colored reddish or yellow-violet.
When turning sharply, their body drops with its muzzle down, so with a strong and fast hook, large individuals may develop a feeling of being caught.
Cyprinids prefer to stay relative to folds of terrain, thickets of plants or snags. In rivers, pits with a gentle current are usually chosen as parking areas. They feed constantly, eating almost everything, for which they have earned the nickname “river pig”.
Food includes plants, insects, shellfish, shrimp, caviar and smaller fish and their corpses. The diet changes depending on the temperature. When the water is below 15 degrees it is mainly larvae and crustaceans; when it rises, plants are added.
During the winter they do not hibernate, as is commonly believed. They just sharply limit their activity. Almost everything is used for feeding.
It is believed that they react better to millet, boiled potatoes, and pre-steamed grain.
But the habits and preferences of fish can vary significantly from place to place.
Even in the same river 10–15 kilometers downstream or upstream, their tastes can be different.
It is difficult to overfeed them, since the fish are voracious. This is only possible in winter, when their energy expenditure is very low.
You can also lure them by lowering a bunch of branches with leaves and several roots with turf to the bottom. In about a week, many fish will actively feed at this place, including carp and carp.
The bait is also extremely varied. Worms, dough, new potatoes, etc. will do. Therefore, when you first arrive at a new place, you should take with you a wide selection in order to understand what the fish that live specifically here like. When fishing, it is advisable to keep the bait close to the algae.
Also, the carp family is characterized by jumping out of the water, which makes it possible to accurately determine their presence. Although the presence of jumps does not guarantee a good bite, especially before the weather changes. Carp and carp love shade and may not come to the surface on sunny days.
They reach puberty at 3–4 years of age. Males mature earlier than females. They choose places rich in algae as spawning grounds.
As soon as the temperature reaches about 20 degrees, they begin to spawn, from which fry emerge after three or four days.
At first, the basis of their diet consists of mosquito larvae, then the diet gradually expands.
Fried carp
Knowing how to cook a whole carp in the oven, you can experiment with this type of fish by frying it in a frying pan.
To prepare carp using this method, you need to take a large carcass weighing about 1.5 kg and cut it as recommended above, without disassembling into fillets. After this, the gutted carcass should be cut into portions about 2 cm thick.
Next, each piece should be sprinkled with a mixture made from pepper and salt, then rolled in a generous amount of flour.
Prepared pieces of fish should be fried in a frying pan with hot vegetable oil (about 5 tbsp). How to fry carp in a frying pan so that the fillet remains soft and juicy? To do this, it is necessary to carry out the heat treatment process on both sides evenly, for 7 minutes on each.
Place the finished pieces of fried carp on a serving dish, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and dill, and, if desired, sprinkle with a small amount of fresh lemon juice.
Having figured out how to present carp in a frying pan, it’s worth saying a few words about its presentation. So, this type of fish goes perfectly with vegetables and mashed potatoes. As for drinks, white wine is ideal.
Some housewives ask this question: how to fry carp in a frying pan so that the taste of the product is only enhanced? Experienced chefs strongly recommend using butter rather than vegetable oil for this, which gives the finished fish a more delicate taste.
Conclusions website
- Both fish belong to the carp family, only carp is a species, and carp is a subspecies of carp.
- Carp is a domesticated species of carp.
- Some types of carp may lack scales, but carp always have them.
- Carp grow in width, and carp, as a rule, grow in length.
- Carps live in ponds, carp in flowing rivers.
- For carp, the normal oxygen content is considered to be 4 mg/l, for carp it is higher - 6-7 mg/l.
- Carp is most often caught with bottom or float rods, and carp with running tackle.
Knowledge of the behavior and habits of fish gives 50% success when hunting underwater inhabitants. For successful fishing, experienced fishermen must have information not only about what gear a fish might react to, but also how its behavior differs from the behavior of fish of other species. Hunting for representatives of the carp fish family causes especially many difficulties. In appearance, its representatives are practically no different from each other. However, the behavior of individual fish breeds can differ radically.
Few fishermen know how to distinguish carp from carp. Indeed, their similarity in appearance is striking.
However, members of the family also have significant differences, the study of which will help classify the fish: Covering with scales. In nature, there are no carp whose bodies are not covered with scales. However, this species occurs in carp. This is a naked carp. There are representatives of the family with partial coverage. This is a mirror carp. Individuals whose body is evenly covered with scales are usually called scaly.
Body shape and length. Carp is distinguished by its omnivorous nature, which provides it with fairly intensive growth. The largest representative was named naked carp. But the scaly type, familiar to everyone, is considered one of the smallest. Compared to carp, the body of the carp has a more elongated and narrow shape. If there is sufficient food supply in the reservoir, an adult carp can grow up to 1 m in length or more.
Having summarized the main features and differences of representatives of the carp family, we can highlight the following aspects: At its core, carp is a wild carp. But the well-known domestic carp was artificially bred during the domestication of carp. Comparing dimensions, carp has a more elongated body, and carp has a wider body. Carp feels most comfortable in stagnant bodies of water. While carp prefers to choose cool rivers with strong and medium currents. Carp is more unpretentious than carp. It is known that its oxygen requirement is much less than that of carp. It is best to hunt carp with a spinning rod. But it’s worth fishing for carp with a feeder or float.
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Appearance
Carp is the main representative of the carp family and belongs to the group of bony fish, which means that the skeletal system is located throughout the body of the fish. This species may have golden scales with a green tint, but there are species, such as framed or mirror carp, that have no scales at all. Another feature of carp is the absence of a stomach, which is why they are almost always looking for something to eat. In addition, at a certain point in its existence it stops growing and simply gains mass.
Carp is a wild relative of carp, which is also classified in this family. In many ways he is similar to his brother, in body structure at least. The color of the scales is also golden. Carp is always covered with scales. River carp is lighter than lake carp. Due to the fact that carp usually lives in rivers, it grows in length and not in width.
Where do carp and carp live:
Carp is found in almost all bodies of water. Usually he looks for deep places with a weak current or completely stagnant water with a muddy bottom. It can also occur on hard bottom areas, but not on rocky ones. Prefers warm water or overgrown areas of the pond. In the summer, when the water has already warmed up enough, it comes out to places with the current and to a shallow depth. In summer, carp stay at a depth of 2 to 6 meters, this depends on the bottom topography. When the first cold weather sets in, it retreats to a depth of up to 10 meters, and with the arrival of winter, even more.
Carp is a schooling fish, despite the fact that larger specimens live separately from smaller individuals, quite often you can find individuals of different ages. In a school, carp do not move densely and are quite spread out; the number in one school is not as significant as, for example, among bream, and usually there are several dozen. Even on paid reservoirs, where there are quite a large number of them, it is rare to see quite large flocks. When it’s windy outside and the rustle of reeds with fallen leaves on the water scares away this cautious fish, it does not flock together, but walks exclusively alone.
Carp is a permanent fish and does not change its location very often. Therefore, the choice of place is very important when fishing for carp. He prefers wild and quiet places, these can be deep holes with snags in them. On rivers, carp loves secluded places with slow currents and there are washouts near steep cliffs, holes, stone blockages and snags. In summer, carp can be found near reeds or in overgrown places, but only at a depth of at least 2 meters. And only late in the evening or early at dawn can you see carp in shallow water.
Main differences:
1. Some carps do not have scales, but carp always have them; 2. Carp is a domestic species of carp; 3. Both carp and carp belong to the carp family. 4. Carp grows in width over time, and carp in length; 5. Carp often bite on bottom or float tackle, and carp on running tackle. 6. The carp has a more elongated mouth than the carp.
Carp and carp are twin fish that are not so easy to distinguish even for experienced fishermen. To understand how carp differs from carp, what the external difference is, the main differences in habits and habitat, and finally, which fish tastes better - this article will help.
The larger the predator, the larger the carp
Strange as it may seem, the carp population directly depends on the predator population. If there is no predator in the reservoir, then sooner or later the prolific carp will consume all the food resources available in the reservoir, and then become stunted and will be in poor condition. Therefore, a decent population of predators that will hunt carp will become a natural population controller and will also contribute to the further reproduction of fish. Moreover, the size of predatory individuals is directly proportional to the size of the carp. If you know that there is a large predator in a pond, then there is also a large carp. Since a large predator will already feed on larger carp, not paying attention to the little things.
In England, the rules of good manners are to strive to make the weight as large as possible and at the same time keep the density of the carp population in the reservoir as low as possible. But there, by the reservoir staff, all small carp are removed from the main water area and kept in reserve lakes. Where fishermen fish, individuals from high society are gathered.
How to clean carp
When looking at a carcass of fresh fish, one question immediately arises: how to cut a carp? It is worth noting that this procedure is extremely simple and does not require much effort. It is important to consider that it is best to work with fish with rubber gloves, close to the sink.
How to clean carp? First of all, it is necessary to cut off the fins from the carcass. Next, you need to press the fish with your left hand in the area of the head, and then use a scraper to remove the scales from it, directing the movement of the tool diagonally, in the direction from the tail to the head. This process should be carried out dynamically.
After all the scales have been removed, you should rip open the fish’s belly and pull out the intestines, removing the black film along with them. During the gutting process, it is important not to touch the gall bladder, otherwise the taste of the product will be spoiled. If the bubble does burst, you need to generously rub the inside of the carcass with salt and, after holding for several minutes, rinse it under running water.
as a last resort, you need to cut off the head of the fish or, as a last resort, remove the gills and eyes from it (if suddenly the cooking will be carried out directly with the head).
To summarize: how to distinguish carp from carp
In order to distinguish these fish, you need to pay attention to the following :
- Body shape. The body of the carp is longer and the body of the carp is wider and thicker.
- Head. In carp it is smaller than in its wild ancestor, and there is also a tubercle at its base.
- Scales. Each scale of the carp has a dark border, whereas its domestic relative has a uniform color.
- Habitat. Carp will live only in running water, so you should not look for it in small ponds with stagnant water, especially when it blooms in the summer, since microscopic algae significantly reduce the oxygen concentration in the water.
Fishing for carp or carp is practically no different - the diet and behavior of these fish are in many ways similar, however, the former is more careful when feeding, it is more frightened by loud sounds, so you need to maintain extreme silence while fishing. Visual camouflage should also not be neglected - camouflage clothing and careful behavior on the shore will significantly increase the chances of a bite.
Types of carp
This fish is a typical representative of the order Cyprinidae. It has golden scales with a light blue tint and a dark edging. The coloring of the carp is heterogeneous: it is dark in the upper part of the body, and becomes lighter towards the belly. The older the fish gets, the brighter the color. The fins are bluish in color and the tail is reddish-brown. The head is large, pointed, there are mustaches, the mouth of the fish is large and fleshy.
In large reservoirs, carp can be found weighing more than thirty kilograms. They can live more than thirty years. Carp love warmth, which is why there is a large population of wild carp in the southern regions.
In nature there are several forms of carp:
- freshwater;
- marine;
- semi-anadromous, which moves from the seas to the lower reaches of rivers to spawn.
Like other representatives of the cyprinid order, carp does not have a stomach, so it feeds everywhere and always. In winter it goes into a state of hibernation. In the spring, he wakes up and rushes in search of plant food (algae, cattails, reed stems). In autumn, it consumes animal feed.
Differences in behavior
Carp, being the wild form of its species, lives in natural conditions , which also affects its behavior.
It is much more careful than carp, since the latter most often does not have natural enemies in water bodies, while the former is forced to hide from predatory fish during the first year of life.
Accordingly, when catching it, you need to more carefully observe silence and camouflage rules.
The food preferences of carp and carp are somewhat different - in the spring, the wild ancestor often feasts on the eggs of other fish, and sometimes, when the food supply in the reservoir is poor, it even eats the fry of other fish, while its domesticated relative prefers plant foods, which is associated with artificial feeding in reservoirs when growing it. During the selection process, carp also received such a distinctive feature as high fertility, while carp lay fewer eggs during spawning, while remaining much more demanding of spawning conditions.
How to choose a good fish
To prepare a delicious dish from carp, you need to use only high-quality fish caught in a clean reservoir.
There is a certain list of recommendations that should be followed when choosing a carp carcass. Thus, it is worth noting that fresh fish will always have clean and transparent eyes, as well as shiny scales without the presence of dark spots on the surface.
When choosing a carp, you should definitely smell its gills - they should not have an unpleasant odor, and also have a clean appearance.
