Carp | Facts & Information

Origin

Some authors, citing old documentary attestations, attribute to the Romans the merit of having spread this species throughout Europe.

Feeding Carp

Romanian carp (Common) has a varied diet, depending on the season. In spring and autumn they prefer animal food as opposed to the summer season when they focus on plant food.

The optimal fishing period is autumn when they consume large amounts of food, gathering fat reserves for the winter. In winter they retreat to the bottom layers of the water reducing their activity to a minimum.

In this season they rarely eat, their favorite food being especially the larvae (worms, dragonflies).

Features Carp

The length of the body can reach 1 m, and the mass a maximum of 40 kg. It is covered with large scales. The back is usually blackish, with bluish or greenish tints, the flanks are copper or copper-yellow, and the abdomen whitish.

The oral cavity is subterminal, with thick lips. The carp possesses four whiskers, two nostrils, two eyes, and a snout. On the trunk and tail there are paired fins (two ventral and two pectoral) and unpaired (dorsal, anal and codal, which have two equal lobes). The fins are driven by muscles, and the fish is covered with mucus and scales.

There are two types of carp: low-backed carp and high-backed carp. It is widespread almost all over the globe, inhabiting fresh and brackish waters.

It lives up to 30 years, sometimes even longer. Carp have Gill respiration. The gills are well vascularized, located on the bony blades, behind some caps called opercules.

In our country there are several species of carp:

1. Romanian carp – also called common carp. It resembles crucian carp, with its body entirely covered with scales. In the case of specimens up to 1 kg, young fishermen can often confuse the two species of fish, namely carp and crucian carp. Unlike crucian carp, it has two tactile whiskers at the base of its mouth and its back is curved, to a lesser or greater extent.

The color is brown-silver, with shades depending on the particularities of the environment in which it lives (lakes, rivers, Danube, Delta). It is one of the most spectacular species and coveted by fishermen. Large specimens are very beautiful, robust and energetic, fighting fiercely when captured, during drift. This species of carp is the most widespread in our country.

2. Mirror carp-is characterized by the lack of scales on most of the body surface. Exceptions are the contour areas and the midline on which are arranged rows of scales, rare and large. Mirror carp is brown-yellow in color, with shades determined by the environment in which they live.

Old specimens reach impressive weights, over 30 kg. In our country this carp is also known as salonta carp. The way of feeding and its behavior are similar to those of the common carp.

3. Golas carp-is similar to mirror carp noting the total absence of scales on their body. Old specimens reach the age of 35-40 years and a mass of over 40 kg. We notice the mouth facing downwards, similar to a Whirlpool, provided with two whiskers.

These carp can scour the shore from the bottom of the lake, up to depths of 20 cm, in search of larvae. The way of feeding and its behavior are similar to those of the common carp.

4. Chinese carp-is one of the most spectacular carp species that live in our country, having food preferences of predominantly vegetable nature. Its slender and fusiform body is entirely covered by large, silvery-gray scales with dark shades on the back.

Large specimens usually reach 30 kg and over 130 cm in length. These are very lively fish and when they are caught they resist a great deal during the drift.

5. Phytophage and Novac (Chinese carp). There are two species extremely widespread in our country, especially in lowland lakes (breeders).

Carp Breeding

Carp breeding occurs in April-May when a mature" crapoaica " can have an amount of Roe up to 23% of its net mass. The spawning period is especially hard for carp females.

When spawning, male carp hit the female hard in the abdomen helping to expel the spawn. Repeated and particularly strong blows can sometimes cause the death of young females.

Even under these conditions, not always the eggs are completely eliminated, part remains in the abdomen of the female until next year or even longer – hence the expression "carp with spawning from many years". Eggs are laid on submerged vegetation, usually in several sessions.

They are fertilized by males by sprinkling with milk. The duration of carp spawning depends on the water temperature and is 5-6 days at a temperature of 20 C or 8-10 days at 18-19 C.