GENERAL INFORMATION |
Common Name: |
Carp |
Scientific Name: |
Cyprinus carpio |
Diet: |
Opportunistic feeders that consume insects, invertebrates, zooplankton and phytoplankton. |
Habitat: |
Inhabit still to slow moving water. Tolerate poor water quality. |
Spawn: |
Spring and Summer in shallow water. The massive amounts of eggs (over a million in large females)
are released into the water and hatch in one to two weeks. |
Distribution: |
Scattered statewide |
Origin: |
Native to Eurasia, but widely introduced in the United States |
Characteristics: |
Undervalued sport and food fish, however carp compete with native fish species. Carp fight hard
and can grow rather large. (Sometimes referred to as the “Poor Man’s Bonefish”.) The vast
majority of the body is covered with large scales and there is a large spine at the front of
the dorsal fin. Fleshy barbels are present on each side of the mouth. The body is thick and gray
to brassy green or yellowish green. |
