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Carp
Carp are a large freshwater fish native to central Asia. Introductions in many countries have helped to make carp the most widely distributed freshwater fish in the world. They are extensively farmed in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and are a popular angling fish in Europe. However, in North America, Canada and Australia, carp are considered a significant pest. Carp are very versatile, and can live in a great variety of habitats including highly degraded areas. Over the past few decades carp have spread across most of south-eastern Australia. They are now the most abundant large freshwater fish in some areas, including most of the Murray-Darling Basin, and are thought to have contributed to the degradation of our natural aquatic ecosystems. Carp, along with goldfish, roach and tench, belong to the Cyprinidae family. Although small carp can be mistaken for goldfish, carp can be distinguished by having a pair of barbels (whiskers) at each corner of their mouth. They have small eyes, thick lips, a forked tail and a single dorsal (top) fin with strongly serrated spines. The scales are large and thick. The color of carp varies. In the wild they are usually olive green to bronze or silvery in color with a paler underside. Koi (or Japanese) carp are domesticated ornamental varieties of common carp and show a much broader range of colours and colour patterns, with various combinations of white, black, red, yellow, blue and orange markings. Scale variations, including large shiny scales either scattered or in a line along the flanks (‘mirror carp’) or an absence of scales (‘leather carp’) are also common in ornamental and wild fish. All strains belong to the same species, Cyprinus carpio. Carp can grow to a very large size, with overseas reports of fish as large as 3 1/2 ft in length weighing 100 lbs. Fish of up to 22 lbs have been caught in Australia, but weights of around 8 - 11 lbs are more common. Carp are usually found in still or slowly flowing waters at low altitudes, especially in areas where there is abundant aquatic vegetation. They are also found in brackish lower reaches of some rivers and coastal lakes. They are capable of tolerating a range of environmental conditions. They have a greater tolerance of low oxygen levels, pollutants and turbidity than most native fish, and are often associated with degraded habitats, including stagnant waters. Changes to water flows, declining water quality and other changes to river habitats over the past few decades have negatively affected many native fish while favouring carp.
Carp are omnivorous, and their diet varies depending on what is available. They consume a range of small food items such as molluscs, crustaceans, insect larvae and seeds. These food items are sucked up (along with mud and water) from the bottom and filtered out using the gill rakers. They can also consume plant material and general organic matter, especially when other food sources are not available (during winter, for example). Carp rarely eat fish, but may consume fish eggs and larvae and disturb breeding sites. Adult carp have no natural predators. Large predatory native fish, such as Murray cod, golden perch and bass, may consume juvenile carp, although it appears they are not a favoured prey item.
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