"Wild carp"

• Wild animals
• >>
• Fish

Many people carp fish not only in appearance, but also in taste.
This is a fairly large-sized and often found inhabitant of fresh waters. The carp is beautiful, like a knight in armor, covered with large, golden scales that shimmer in the sun. Amateur fishermen are always incredibly happy to catch one, and gourmet connoisseurs will never refuse to taste tasty and healthy fish meat. Let's analyze the life activity of this interesting fish, studying its external features, habits, disposition and other important features.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Carp fish

Carp is a representative of the class of ray-finned fish, belonging to the carp family. Disputes regarding the origin of carp continue to this day. There are two versions about this, contradicting each other.

The first of them says that the carp was bred artificially in China, using the genetics of wild carp to breed it. This fish was considered very honorable even at the court of the Chinese Emperor and other nobility. Gradually, through river canals and with the help of sailors, carp spread throughout Europe. In Greek, the name “carp” itself means “harvest” or “fertility.” Carp, in fact, is very prolific, so it spread widely along many rivers and lakes in Europe, then came to Great Britain, and in the nineteenth century it was registered on the North American continent.

Video: Carp fish

The second version completely refutes the first, considering it only a myth. According to it, fish such as wild carp have long been found in rivers and lakes, differing in their forms. Carp living in running water had an elongated, torpedo-shaped body, while in standing water it was more round, wide and plump. It is believed that it was the lake carp that was spread by humans throughout Europe, North America and Asia. Selection improvements to this variety began less than two centuries ago, developing new breeds and all kinds of hybrids.

Based on this theory, the name “carp” has no scientific basis, and appeared only in the 19th century in Sergei Aksakov’s book about fishing. This is what the Bashkirs called wild carp, which in Turkic means “mud fish”; this name has become widespread among the people, but ichthyologists believe that wild and domestic carp are the same species.

Carps are divided not only into river and lake (pond) carps, but also into separate varieties, including:

• naked;
• scaly;
• frame;
• mirror

Their main distinguishing features are the color and arrangement of scales. Scaly carp are completely covered with large scales. The frame one has scales only on the ridge and belly. The scales of mirror carp are very large and are located in places (usually along the lateral line of the fish). The naked carp has no scales at all, but in terms of size it is the largest, followed by the mirror carp in size, and then the scaly carp.

Types of carp

In addition to the common taxon, which is distinguished by its hardiness and is a breeding base for fish farms, other cultivated, artificially bred breeds are grown in ponds, rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

Mirror carp

The species became the first successful breeding experiment associated with increasing the fertility and weight of fish. The first examples of the new breed appeared in Germany at the beginning of the 19th century under the sonorous name spiegelkarpfen (mirror carp). The main differences from the original form were more rounded fins, fewer bony rays, a rapid increase in weight and a special arrangement of shiny scales that cover only part of the body and resemble rounded mirrors. There are several basic patterns of protective covers that give names to varieties of mirror carp - framed, scattered, linear. An important biological feature of the species is its feeding affinity for mollusks and cereals, which significantly simplifies keeping the fish in artificial conditions.

naked carp

The variety arose as a result of further selection of the mirror crown. The main exterior feature is the complete absence of a hard protective cover. Another common name for the taxon is leatherback carp. The breed standard allows for a minimum number of large scales on the back and at the base of the caudal fin.

Due to weak immunity and susceptibility to parasites, the fish is of no economic importance and is mainly bred as a popular object of recreational and sport fishing.

Carp

Fierce food competition between the two species forced fish farmers to look for a compromise solution that would allow them to control the number of super-prolific crucian carp (Carassius) in the reservoir and prevent severe reduction of the stock. In the mid-1980s, a special breed was bred in Russia - carp carp, which was distinguished by its rapid weight gain, high nutritional value and inability to reproduce independently due to the complete sterility of the males. The hybrid has a unique appearance - the head and color of a crucian carp, the body of a carp. Thanks to excellent adaptability, omnivorousness and high biological potential, in just 2-4 years the fish grows to 1.5-2 kg.

Koi carp

The idea of ​​crossing closely related generic taxa Cyprinus carpio and Carassius is not new and has a strong historical basis. Back in the 1st-2nd centuries, the Chinese managed to obtain offspring from wild carp and local crucian carp (Carassius auratus), which is known to aquarists as goldfish. The resulting hybrid retained the body of the carp and the ability to reproduce, but acquired an unusual red or white body color. Further intraspecific crossing allowed us to obtain pink and spotted forms.

To learn more:

What is included in Minenko boilies?

From China, the fish quickly made its way to neighboring Japan, where it became a lifesaver for rice farmers in mountainous areas. Heavy winter snowfalls cut people off from cities for many months, leaving them without supplies of protein food. This is where the unpretentious fish came in handy, as it thrived in special tanks for storing irrigation water.

The Japanese word "koi", translated as "carp", has become the main word for this colorful, long-lived taxon, growing over a meter in length. The Japanese themselves use the term “nishikigoi”, literally - brocade carp, of which more than 80 breeds have been bred, including with the participation of a mirror relative. Now the fish inhabits homestead and park ponds in all corners of the country and is an object of aesthetic and cultural content.

Siamese carp

The most numerous representative of the family Cyprinidae is the genus Catlocarpio, which lives in Indochina in the rivers, lakes and reservoirs of the Gulf of Thailand, Andaman and South China Seas (Mekong, Chao Phraya, Tonle Sap, Saigon, Phumphon). Siamese carp, or giant barbel, leads a peaceful lifestyle, preferring plants, algae, fruits, grains, and phytoplankton. Despite the low-calorie diet, the average size of the fish exceeds 30-40 kg. There are known cases of catching record-breaking individuals weighing up to 300 kg with a body length of more than 3 meters.

Appearance and features

Photo: Carp fish in water

The common carp is easily recognizable by many parameters:

• large, thick, slightly elongated body;
• dense, large scales with a dark border; there are from 32 to 41 scales along the lateral line of the fish;
• the sides of the fish are golden, slightly brownish, the thick belly has a lighter tone;
• carp - the owner of a large mouth that extends into a tube;
• the upper lip is decorated with four short antennae, which are very sensitive;
• The fish's eyes are set high, have medium-sized pupils bordered by a greenish-golden iris;
• the powerful fish ridge has a dark shade and a notched fin of a grayish-olive color with a spiny ray, the anal fin is short and also with a spine;
• The nostrils of the carp are double.

Mucus envelops the entire body of the carp, preventing friction, regulating body temperature, and protecting against all kinds of parasites. The carp is very large and very weighty. It is reliably known that specimens weighing more than half a hundredweight and over one and a half meters long were caught. Such sizes are very rare; usually you come across carp from one to five kilograms, their age varies from two to seven years. In general, carp can be considered a long-livers; nature has given it a considerable life span, reaching up to 50 years, and some ornamental species can live for more than a century.

Interesting fact: One seventy-year-old Japanese man has a carp that he inherited, which is 35 years older than its owner. The owner carefully cares for his beloved pet, not agreeing to sell it even for fabulous sums.

Where do carp live?

Photo: Carp fish in Russia

The distribution area of ​​carp is very extensive; it can be found in Europe, the Far East, Western and Central Asia, and on the North American continent. Carp is thermophilic, so it avoids northern regions.

In our country, he has chosen the fresh waters of the following sea basins:

• Baltic;
• Japanese;
• Black;
• Caspian;
• Azovsky;
• Okhotsky.

Carp loves water where there is no current at all, or where it is too weak, and loves to settle in lakes, ponds, flooded quarries, reservoirs and canals. A heavenly place for carp is a reservoir where there is a lot of all kinds of vegetation and a soft (sandy, silty, clayey) bottom. Typically, the fish lives at a depth of two to ten meters. Shelters that serve as protection for carp are very important to them, so they will avoid open areas where the bottom is completely flat. Carp gives its preference to secluded holes, dense thickets, and submerged snags.

In general, carp is not particularly demanding; the main thing for it is the availability of food; in itself it is quite hardy. Apparently, this is why this mustachioed aquatic inhabitant has spread so widely everywhere and feels great.

Interesting fact: Due to the unpretentiousness of the carp and its disregard for the level of pollution of the reservoir, the fish care only about the availability of food, it is called a water pig.

Distribution and habitats

The range of carp covers Europe, Central and Western Asia, the Far East and most other territories within temperate and southern latitudes. In Russia, corop is found everywhere in fresh water bodies of the Black, Azov, Baltic, Caspian, Japanese and Okhotsk seas. Favorite habitat is stagnant or low-flow lakes, flooded quarries, ponds, canals and reservoirs with an abundance of vegetation and soft, clayey, sandy or moderately hard soil. The optimal living depth is 2-10 meters. Shelter is important for fish, so it ignores open reaches with a flat bottom, preferring areas with holes, thickets of higher or floating plants, snags, and submerged bushes.

To learn more:

Is a bream a small bream or not?

What does carp eat?

Photo: Fish of the carp family

Carp can be called very voracious and omnivorous. He happily eats both animal and plant foods. Moreover, the first is preferred in spring and autumn, and the second - in the summer. Carp grows in size quite quickly, so it needs a lot of food; the fish’s stomach is designed in such a way that it can eat almost without stopping.

The carp menu consists of:

• shellfish;
• crustaceans;
• fish and frog caviar;
• tadpoles;
• all kinds of insects and their larvae;
• worms;
• flies;
• moths;
• shoots of aquatic vegetation;
• young reed.

Mature and large specimens also eat other fish and do not disdain frogs and crayfish. There are cases when large carps wanted to grab birds catching aquatic insects. Wandering in the underwater kingdom in search of a snack, the mustaches create large bubbles on the surface of the water, thereby revealing themselves.

Often in the reeds you can hear something like slurping; this is a carp feasting on reed shoots, deftly biting them with the help of pharyngeal teeth. Even the hard shells of snails and crayfish are tough on carp. If there is nothing tastier, carp can eat mucus from plants, and also does not disdain manure, which it finds in cattle watering places.

Carp bred in captivity are fed corn, bread, and specialized feed containing fiber, fats and proteins. The quality of meat often suffers from such a menu, enriched with antibiotics, various dyes, flavors and growth accelerators. This is how varied the diet of carp is, spending most of their lives in search of something tasty.

Interesting fact: Cannibalism has not bypassed the carp family, so a larger representative may well snack on its small-sized closest relative.

Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: Carp fish

Carp prefers a collective life, so they unite in schools; only very large specimens can be solitary, but they also stay close to their fellow tribesmen. With the onset of cold weather, the Bolsheviks join the team to make it easier to survive the winter together. For the winter, carps dive into secluded holes located at the bottom, where they fall into a kind of half-asleep stupor. If there are no holes in the reservoir, then the mustachios look for impassable snags for wintering, where they settle, and the mucus that envelops them helps the carp not to freeze.

Carps awaken with the onset of spring, when the water begins to gradually warm up; the fish begin to show their activity towards the end of March, in April. Wintering areas are abandoned and carps rush to shallower depths (from 4 to 6 meters) to find something edible. Carp are sedentary fish; they do not swim far from their permanent places of deployment. Young carp move in schools, usually staying in reed thickets, while their heavier relatives prefer depth, swimming to the surface only to feed themselves.

Carp prefers shady, impassable places and avoids open sunny spaces. Schools do not swim en masse, but form a string where fish of different ages are present. Carps are not aggressive, so they can be considered calm and peaceful aquatic inhabitants. It is very interesting to watch how the carp jumps quite high out of the water, and then loudly plops back down.

This phenomenon often occurs at dawn or in the evening hours and looks very exciting. Ichthyologists believe that this is how the flock gives a sign that it is coming out to feed, and if the jumps are too frequent, then this is a sign that the weather will soon worsen. Carp is a very desirable trophy for any fisherman; fishing enthusiasts assure that this fish is very careful, strong and smart. Carp have a keen sense of smell, allowing them to smell bait or prey from afar.

Interesting fact: Carp use their gills to filter out food that they don't like, so they are a real gourmet.

Carp's vision is also excellent, it perfectly recognizes different colors, and its visibility is all-round, i.e. the fish can see 360 ​​degrees; even its own tail cannot hide from its eyes. In the dark, carp have excellent orientation and can easily move, monitoring their surroundings. This is how savvy and difficult carp are, which is why it can be difficult to catch a large one with a mustache.

What to take for fishing

Before going on a trip, you need to take care of special fishing equipment. Spinning rods with a rigid action (2-3 pieces) are a must. You can also take a one-handed fishing rod with you.

It is important to competently approach the issue of choosing carp rigs and correlate them with bait. You need to combine the selected spinning rod - the required line section and tackle. A properly selected spinning reel for your spinning rod will make your rod ideal for carp fishing.

Catching wild carp

as the load increases, the fishing line can no longer withstand. In this case, you can throw the required number of meters from the reel. Line for carp fishing – 1/4 mm (0.25 mm). Nothing stronger. Coarse tackle can reduce the activity of bites, since carp are cautious fish.

An experienced carp angler will most likely buy fishing line that matches the color of the algae. He equips the main line with a sliding float and a stopper. For long-distance fishing, floats with internal loading are used.

There are 2 types of them. First, small pellets are thrown into a hollow keel. In the second option, the keel already has a large mass. The stability of these floats is beyond doubt. During various actions with the gear, they hold up as required. Even with a small bite there is a signal.

Article on the topic: How does smoking affect the carp bite?

As for the shipping weight, it is individual for certain cases of carp fishing. Loading must be approached more carefully if the depth during fishing is much shallower. As for floats, they can be very different. They differ in load capacity and shape.

Average statistical float - length 20 cm, antenna 4-5.5 mm. In its largest part, the body measures up to 15 mm. The maximum load capacity of such a float is up to 7 g. The color of the float is also of great importance, because carp are very careful fish.

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Carp river fish

Carp become sexually mature when they are closer to three or five years of age, both males and females. The reproduction of carp depends not only on its age, but also on the temperature of the water and the size of the fish itself. Carp are heat-loving, so they go to spawn closer to the end of May, when the water is already significantly warmed up. For successful reproduction, the length of the male must be at least 30 cm, and the female – at least 37.

The carp chooses a shallow place for spawning (about two meters), usually in reed beds. Such places are difficult to find, so fish return to them several times.

Interesting fact: Carp are not known for their swan fidelity, so the female always has several gentlemen (up to five), who begin fertilization. Peak carp spawning begins at dusk (after the sun has set) and lasts for about 12 hours.

Carps are indeed very prolific. Only one mature female can produce a million eggs, which she lays in portions over several days. The incubation period is only three to six days, then the larvae appear, which feed on the contents of the yolk sac for two to three days. Then, the fry, which begin to swim, eat zooplankton and the smallest crustaceans, actively developing. Closer to six months of age, carp can already weigh about 500 grams. This is how carp grows and develops at such an incredibly fast pace.

Lifestyle Features

At a young age, the fish adheres to schooling behavior. As he grows older and his food demands increase, he switches to a small-group or solitary lifestyle. The biological activity of the species occurs during the warm season from April to October. The first feeding peak occurs in June, when the fish, hungry after spawning, switch to round-the-clock feeding. With the onset of summer heat and excessive heating of water, feeding time shifts to night, but in rainy, cloudy weather it can search for food all day.

In August-September, the second wave of zhora begins, which continues until the end of October and is associated with the accumulation of energy reserves for the winter. During this period, the carp is carefree and maximally concentrated on finding food. Careless behavior often ends with its capture - it is the beginning and middle of autumn that bring large catches to carp anglers. The korop spends the cold season in wintering pits with little current. Having gathered in large schools with other carp fish, it is in suspended animation and practically does not feed.

Reproduction

For the development of eggs, a sufficiently high environmental temperature of +18-20°C is required, so carp spawning occurs late, usually at the end of May, beginning of June. A sexually mature female of 3-5 years of age acquires several “gentlemen”, peers, and goes to shallow water (40-60 cm), overgrown with soft vegetation. The eggs are laid in portions for 2-4 days. The total number of clutches from one female individual is 0.2-1.0 million eggs. The incubation period of embryo development takes 3-6 days. The hatched larvae develop for several more days in a static position, receiving the necessary nutrients from the yolk sac. Once the fry has swum, they begin actively feeding on zooplankton and small crustaceans.

To learn more:

Silver carp: description, habits, fishing and benefits of fish

Natural enemies of carp

Photo: Freshwater fish carp

Although carp grows quite large in size, it has enemies and competitors, so it is always extremely careful. Of course, the most vulnerable are not the large individuals lying on the bottom, but the fry and eggs. The greatest threat to them is posed by green frogs, which love to feast on both eggs and fry. Only one frog individual can absorb up to one hundred thousand fry and eggs during the day. In addition to frogs, crayfish, worms, other fish and many other inhabitants of the underwater kingdom will never refuse caviar. It often happens that caviar washes up on the shore, where it dries up, or is pecked by birds or eaten by other animals.

We should not forget that carp are no strangers to cannibalism, so an older relative can eat his smaller brother without remorse. In reservoirs where predatory fish live, carp can become a good snack for large pike or catfish. The fry love to feed in the shallows, so they can be caught there by some animals that are not averse to eating fish. For small specimens, birds (gulls, terns) hunting for fish can be dangerous; young animals often suffer from their attacks.

Of course, one cannot fail to note a person who can also be considered one of the enemies of the carp. This type of fish is very popular among amateur fishermen, who have long carefully studied its habits and taste preferences. Catching a hefty specimen is not an easy task, but the unbridled appetite of the mustachioed fish often works against itself. It can be noted with confidence that if it were not for the various living creatures that absorb the eggs and fry of carp, then this fish could fill a huge number of rivers and other bodies of water.

Wild carp

This fishing club provides an opportunity for recreation and fishing for amateur and professional fishermen, as well as simply for people who want to relax there or hold a personal event.

Fishing is possible around the clock, in all seasons of the year. The base is open from five in the morning to nine in the evening.

Prices for staying at the base with the possibility of fishing:

1. A full day from five in the morning to nine in the evening costs one thousand eight hundred rubles.
2. From five in the morning to one in the afternoon it costs one thousand three hundred rubles.
3. Evening catch from one o'clock in the afternoon to nine in the evening - one thousand three hundred rubles.
4. Payment for each hour is one hundred and fifty rubles.
5. Night fishing from eight in the evening to eight in the morning costs two thousand five hundred rubles.

Also, in this complex you can buy a special card, the cost of which is fifteen thousand rubles. It provides the opportunity to fish without additional purchase of a ticket.

Upon completion of the catch, the fisherman shows the guard everything that he caught, after which the catch is weighed and the amount for which the caught fish will be taken into his cards is charged.

If the weight of the catch is greater than on the card, then the fisherman must additionally pay the following amount:

• for carp - two hundred rubles per kilogram;
• for carp and grass carp – two hundred and ten rubles per kilogram;
• for pike – two hundred and fifty rubles;
• for catfish and trout - three hundred rubles;
• for sturgeon - seven hundred rubles.

The number of gear that a fisherman can use should not exceed three pieces.

You can also rent gear or other items:

• fishing rod rental is two hundred rubles;
• landing net rental – one hundred rubles;
• fish tank - one hundred rubles;
• barbecue rental – two hundred rubles;
• table - five hundred rubles.

Upon completion of the catch, the fisherman must show everything he caught to the inspector, who will weigh the fish and calculate the amount from the fisherman’s card.

The base is located at the following address: Moscow region, Krasnoe village, 35 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road along the M4-Don highway.