Cyprinus carpio carpio Linnaeus, 1758

Common carp

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Cypriniformes \| Cyprinidae
Synonyms	Cyprinus carpio, Carpio vulgaris, Cyprinus atrovirens, ... more
Common names	Carpe commune, Carpa, Wild common carp, ... more

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Image of Cyprinus carpio carpio (Common carp)

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Main reference

Kottelat, M. 1997. (Ref. 13696)
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Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 120 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2847); common length : 31.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3561); max. published weight: 40.1 kg (Ref. 72380); max. reported age: 38 years (Ref. 72479)

Environment

Benthopelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; brackish; pH range: 7.0 - 7.5; dH range: 10 - 15

Climate / Range

Subtropical; 3°C - 32°C (Ref. 12741); 60°N - 40°N

Europe to Asia: Europe, Russia, China, India and South-East Asia. One of the first species to be introduced into other countries and now attains global distribution. Inland aquaculture and capture fisheries contributions proved to be very significant. A reophilic wild population in the Danube is assumed to be the origin of the European species; this population is now under threat (Ref. 13696). Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 3 - 4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 23; Anal spines: 2 - 3; Anal soft rays: 5 - 6; Vertebrae: 36 - 37. Pharyngeal teeth 1, 1, 3:3, 1,1, robust, molar-like with crown flattened or somewhat furrowed. Scales large and thick. `Wild carp ' is generally distinguished by its less stocky build with height of body 1:3.2-4.8 in standard length. Very variable in form, proportions, squamation, development of fins, and color. Caudal fin with 3 spines and 17-19 rays (Ref. 2196). Last simple anal ray bony and serrated posteriorly; 4 barbels; 17-20 branched dorsal rays; body grey to bronze (Ref. 43281). Also Ref. 3398, 3410.

Occur at a temperature range of 3-35°C. Hardy and tolerant of a wide variety of conditions but generally favor large water bodies with slow flowing or standing water and soft bottom sediments. Common carp thrive in large turbid rivers. They are omnivorous, feeding mainly on aquatic insects, crustaceans, annelids, mollusks, weed and tree seeds, wild rice, aquatic plants and algae; mainly by grubbing in sediments (Ref. 1998). Spawn in spring and summer, laying sticky eggs in shallow vegetation (Ref. 7248). A female 47 cm in length produces about 300,000 eggs (Ref. 6885). Young are probably preyed upon by northern pike, muskellunge, and largemouth bass. Adults uproot and destroy submerged aquatic vegetation and therefore may be detrimental to duck and native fish populations (Ref. 1998). Utilized fresh and frozen (Ref. 9987). Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; minimum aquarium size >200 cm; not recommended for home aquariums (Ref. 51539).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Vulnerable (VU) (A2ce)	Potential pest

Human uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

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Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.10-0.30; tm=1-3; tmax=20; Fec=36,000-2,000,000)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
High to very high vulnerability (66 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Luna, Susan M.

Modified by Ortañez, Auda Kareen

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