Common Carp
| Class: Fishes: 4
classes |
Diet: Crustaceans,
insect larvae, mollusks, and some vegetation |
| Order:
Cypriniformes: Carps |
| Size: 51
cm - 1 m (20 in - 3 1/4 ft) |
| Family: No Fish family
information |
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
|
| Scientific Name:
Cyprinus carpio |
Habitat: lowland
lakes, and rivers |
| Range:
Originally Southern Europe and Black Sea area; introduced in Northern Europe,
North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Asia and Africa |
 Now
an extremely widely distributed fish, the common carp belongs to the large,
freshwater family Cyprinidae. Carp are robust, fairly deep-bodied fishes;
some are fully scaled, but there are other varieties, such as leather carp,
which are scaleless, and mirror carp (illustrated here), which have some
exceptionally large scales on the sides and at the base of the dorsal fin.
Inhabitants of slow-moving waters with much vegetation, carp tolerate low
oxygen levels which would be fatal for many other fishes. They feed mostly
on crustaceans, insect larvae, mollusks and some vegetation. Breeding occurs
in spring and summer. The eggs are laid in shallow water, where they adhere
to aquatic plants until they hatch.
  
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