View source for Common carp

{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Freyhof, J. |author2=Kottelat, M. |date=2024 |title=''Cyprinus carpio'' |volume=2024 |article-number=e.T6181A3107721 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024.RLTS.T6181A3107721.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| name = Common carp
| image = Cyprinus carpio 2008 G1 (cropped).jpg
| genus = Cyprinus
| species = carpio
| range_map = Ccarpio range.png
| range_map_caption = {{leftlegend|#4e9153|&nbsp;native range}}
{{leftlegend|#d59124|&nbsp;introduced range}}
| display_parents = 3
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
}}
[[File:Cyprinus carpio by Ellen Edmondson.jpg|thumb|Painting by Ellen Edmonson]]
The '''common carp''' ('''''Cyprinus carpio'''''), also known as '''European carp,''' '''Eurasian carp''', or simply '''carp''', is a widespread [[freshwater fish]] of [[eutrophic]] waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.<ref name=fishbase>Fishbase: [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1450 ''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758]</ref><ref name=arkive>Arkive: [http://www.arkive.org/common-carp/cyprinus-carpio/info.html Common carp (''Cyprinus carpio'')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101012917/http://www.arkive.org/common-carp/cyprinus-carpio/info.html |date=2010-01-01 }}</ref> The native wild populations are considered [[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]] to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ([[IUCN]]),<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> but the species has also been [[Domestication|domesticated]] and [[Introduced species|introduced]] (see [[aquaculture]]) into environments worldwide, and is often considered a destructive [[invasive species]],<ref name=fishbase/> being included in the [[list of the world's 100 worst invasive species]]. It gives its name to the [[carp]] family, [[Cyprinidae]].

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Cyprinus carpio 1879.jpg|thumb|Common carp by [[Alexander Francis Lydon]]]]
The type subspecies is ''[[Cyprinus carpio carpio]]'', native to much of Europe (notably the [[Danube]] and [[Volga]] Rivers).<ref name=fishbase/><ref name=Genetica>Jian Feng Zhou, Qing Jiang Wu, Yu Zhen Ye & Jin Gou Tong (2003). Genetic divergence between ''Cyprinus carpio carpio'' and ''Cyprinus carpio haematopterus'' as assessed by mitochondrial DNA analysis, with emphasis on origin of European domestic carp [https://doi.org/10.1023%2FA%3A1024421001015 ''Genetica'' 119: 93–97]</ref>

The subspecies ''[[Cyprinus carpio haematopterus]]'' (Amur carp), native to eastern Asia, was recognized in the past,<ref name=Genetica/> but recent authorities treat it as a separate species under the name ''[[Cyprinus rubrofuscus]]''.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="Craig2015">Craig, J.F., eds. (2015). Freshwater Fisheries Ecology. p. 297. Wiley-Blackwell. {{ISBN|978-1-118-39442-7}}.</ref> The common carp and various Asian [[Cyprinus|relatives]] in their pure forms can be separated by [[meristics]] and also differ in [[genetics]], but they are able to [[Hybrid (biology)|interbreed]].<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref>Zhou, J., Wu, Q., Wang, Z. and Ye, Y. (2004). Molecular Phylogenetics of Three Subspecies of Common carp Cyprinus Carpio, based on sequence analysis of cytochrome b and control region of mtDNA. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 42(4): 266–269.</ref> Common carp can also interbreed with the [[goldfish]] (''Carassius auratus''); the result is called [[Kollar carp]].<ref>Taylor, J., R. Mahon. 1977. Hybridization of ''Cyprinus carpio'' and ''Carassius auratus'', the first two exotic species in the lower Laurentian Great Lakes. Environmental Biology Of Fishes 1(2):205-208.</ref><ref>[http://www.tnfish.org/PhotoGalleryFish_TWRA/FishPhotoGallery_TWRA/pages/HybridCommonCarpGoldfishMeltonHillNegus_jpg.htm Photo of goldfish x common carp hybrid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017003252/http://tnfish.org/PhotoGalleryFish_TWRA/FishPhotoGallery_TWRA/pages/HybridCommonCarpGoldfishMeltonHillNegus_jpg.htm |date=2007-10-17 }} in Melton Hill Reservoir from the [[Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency]]</ref> Another artificial hybrid is ghost carp, which is bred between common carp and Japanese Purachina koi. The large variations of colours produced make ghost carp a popular commercial species.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carp - Ghost/Koi |url=https://www.farnhamanglingsociety.com/species/coarse/carp-ghost-koi/ |website=Farnham Angling Society |access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref>

==History==
The common carp is native to Europe and Asia, and has been introduced to every part of the world except the poles. They are the third-most frequently introduced fish species worldwide,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Courtenay|first1=Walter R.|last2=Welcomme|first2=R. L.|date=1989-05-23|title=International Introductions of Inland Aquatic Species|journal=Copeia|volume=1989|issue=2|page=520|doi=10.2307/1445460|issn=0045-8511|jstor=1445460}}</ref> and their history as a farmed fish dates back to Roman times.<ref>{{Citation|last=Balon|first=Eugene K.|title=Domestication of the carp Cyprinus caprio L.|publisher=[[Royal Ontario Museum]]|year=1974|url=https://archive.org/details/domesticationofc00balo|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/domesticationofc00balo/page/16|chapter=Probable Origin of Domestication|pages=16–18}}</ref> Carp are used as food in many areas, but are also regarded as a pest in several regions due to their ability to out-compete native fish stocks.<ref>"Common Carp." Aliens Among Us. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. &lt;http://alienspecies.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/eng/species/common-carp&gt{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }};.</ref> The original common carp was found in the inland delta of the [[Danube|Danube River]] about 2000 years ago and was torpedo-shaped and golden-yellow in colour. It had two pairs of barbels and a mesh-like scale pattern. Although this fish was initially kept as an exploited captive, it was later maintained in large, specially built ponds by the Romans in south-central Europe (verified by the discovery of common carp remains in excavated settlements in the Danube Delta area). As aquaculture became a profitable branch of agriculture, efforts were made to farm the animals, and the culture systems soon included spawning and growing ponds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.carpfishingscience.com/ |title=Balon, E. K. (2004). About the oldest domesticates among fishes. Journal of Fish Biology, 65 (Supplement A): 1–27. In Carp Fishing Science |access-date=2019-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503062057/http://www.carpfishingscience.com/ |archive-date=2010-05-03 }}</ref> The common carp's native range also extends to the [[Black Sea]], [[Caspian Sea]], and [[Aral Sea]].{{Cn|date=April 2021}}

Both European and Asian subspecies have been [[Domestication|domesticated]].<ref name=Genetica/> In Europe, domestication of carp as [[food fish]] was spread by [[monk]]s between the 13th and 16th centuries. The wild forms of carp had already reached the delta of the [[Rhine]] in the 12th century, probably with some human help.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42532268/publicaties/arcpublicatie-69.pdf |title=Aanvullend Archeologisch Onderzoek op terrein 9 te Houten-Loerik, gemeente Houten (U.) |access-date=2014-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050445/https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42532268/publicaties/arcpublicatie-69.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 }}</ref> Variants that have arisen with domestication include the [[mirror carp]], with large, mirror-like scales (linear mirror – scaleless except for a row of large scales that run along the [[lateral line]]; originating in [[Germany]]), the leather carp (virtually unscaled except near dorsal fin), and the fully scaled carp. [[Koi]] carp (錦鯉 (''nishikigoi'') in Japanese, 鯉魚 ([[pinyin]]: ''lĭ yú'') in Chinese) is a domesticated ornamental variety that originated in the Niigata region of [[Japan]] in the 1820s,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mpks.org/articles/RayJordan/KoiHistory3.shtml |title=Ray Jordan Koi History |access-date=2009-04-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723111340/http://www.mpks.org/articles/RayJordan/KoiHistory3.shtml |archive-date=2009-07-23 }}</ref> but its parent species is likely the East Asian carp, possibly ''[[Cyprinus rubrofuscus|C. rubrofuscus]]''.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name=Craig2015/>

==Physiology and life history==
[[File:DutchWildCarpCyprinusCarpio 2857x1356.JPG|thumb|300px|Dutch wild carp]]
The carp has a robust build, with a dark gold sheen that is most prominent on its head. Its body is adorned with large, conspicuous scales that are very shiny. It has large pectoral [[Fish fin|fins]] and a tapering dorsal fin running down the last two-thirds of its body, getting progressively higher as it nears the carp's head. Its caudal and anal fins may either be a dark bronze or washed with a rubbery orange hue. Two or three spines are on the anal fin,<ref name=fishbase/> the first being serrated,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/fish-facts.aspx?fishname=Common+Carp|title=Maryland Fish Facts: Common Carp|access-date=27 July 2024|website=Maryland Department of Natural Resources}}</ref> and the dorsal fin has three or four anterior spines,<ref name=fishbase/> the first of which is also serrated.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fao.org/fishery/affris/species-profiles/common-carp/common-carp-home/en/|title=Common carp - ''Cyprinus carpio''|website=Aquaculture Feed and Fertilizer Resources Information System|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|access-date=27 July 2024|year=2024}}</ref> The mouth of the carp is downward-turned, with two pairs of [[Barbel (anatomy)|barbels]], one pair at the corners of the upper lip, and the other on the lower.<ref name=faohabits>{{cite web|url=https://www.fao.org/fishery/affris/species-profiles/common-carp/natural-food-and-feeding-habits/en/|title=Common carp - Natural food and feeding habits|website=Aquaculture Feed and Fertilizer Resources Information System|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|access-date=27 July 2024|year=2024}}</ref> Wild common carp are typically slimmer than domesticated forms, with body length about four times body height, red flesh, and a forward-protruding mouth. Common carp can grow to very large sizes if given adequate space and nutrients. Their average growth rate by weight is about half the growth rate of domesticated carp.<ref name=EMMERIK>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportvisserijnederland.nl/include/downloadfile.asp?id=16|author=Wilt, R.S. de|author2=Emmerik W.A.M.|title=Kennisdocument Karper Sportvisserij Nederland|date=2008-01-31|access-date=December 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103225421/http://www.sportvisserijnederland.nl/include/downloadfile.asp?id=16|archive-date=2012-01-03}}</ref><ref name=SMUL>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smul.sachsen.de/lfl/publikationen/download/2859_2.pdf|author1=Füllner G.|author2=Pfeifer M.|author3=Langner N.|title=Karpfenteichwirtschaft|publisher=Sächsische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft|access-date=December 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415014605/http://www.smul.sachsen.de/lfl/publikationen/download/2859_2.pdf|archive-date=2012-04-15}}</ref> They do not reach the lengths and weights of domesticated carp, which (range, 3.2–4.8 times)<ref name=fishbase/> can grow to a maximum length of {{convert|120|cm}}, a maximum weight of over {{convert|40|kg}}.<ref name="fishbase" /> The longest-lived common carp documented was of wild-origin (in non-native habitat of North America), and was 64 years of age.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dauphinais |first1=Justine D. |last2=Miller |first2=Loren M. |last3=Swanson |first3=Reid G. |last4=Sorensen |first4=Peter W. |date=2018-08-01 |title=Source–sink dynamics explain the distribution and persistence of an invasive population of common carp across a model Midwestern watershed |journal=Biological Invasions |language=en |volume=20 |issue=8 |pages=1961–1976 |doi=10.1007/s10530-018-1670-y |bibcode=2018BiInv..20.1961D |s2cid=254290935 |issn=1573-1464}}</ref> The largest recorded carp, caught by British angler, Colin Smith, in 2013 at Etang La Saussaie Fishery, France, weighed {{convert|45.59|kg}}.<!-- repeat The wild, non-domesticated forms tend to be much less stocky at around 20%–33% the maximum size.--> The average size of the common carp is around {{Convert|40|-|80|cm|abbr=in}} and {{Convert|2|-|14|kg|abbr=on}}.{{Citation needed span|text=|date=January 2020|reason=}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nyaboke Aera |first1=Callen |last2=E Migiro |first2=Kembenya |date=September 2014 |title=LENGTH-WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP AND CONDITION FACTOR OF COMMON CARP, CYPRINUS CARPIO IN LAKE NAIVASHA, KENYA |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265850051 |journal=International Journal of Current Research |volume=6 |issue=9 |pages=8286–8292 |via=ResearchGate}}</ref>
[[File:Muzeum Ewolucji PAN - szkielet karpia (Common carp, Cyprinus carpio).JPG|thumb|300px|The [[skeleton]] of a European carp]]
[[File:Common carp x-ray.jpg|thumb|300px|European carp [[x-ray]]]]

===Habitat===
Although tolerant of most conditions, common carp prefer large bodies of slow or standing water and soft, vegetative sediments. As schooling fish, they prefer to be in groups of five or more. They naturally live in [[temperate]] climates in [[Fresh water|fresh]] or slightly [[brackish]] water with a [[pH]] of 6.5–9.0 and salinity up to about 0.5%,<ref name=fao>[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] Fisheries & Aquaculture: [http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Cyprinus_carpio/en Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme – ''Cyprinus carpio'']</ref> and temperatures of {{convert|3|to(-)|35|C|F|abbr=on}}.<ref name=fishbase/> The ideal temperature is {{convert|23|to(-)|30|C|F|abbr=on}}, with spawning beginning at {{convert|17|to(-)|18|C|F|abbr=on}}; they easily survive winter in a frozen-over pond, as long as some free water remains below the ice.<ref name=fao/> Carp are able to tolerate water with very low oxygen levels, by gulping air at the surface.<ref name=arkive/><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://badangling.com/coarse-fish-species/carp/|title=Carp|work=BadAngling|access-date=2018-07-06|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Diet===
Common carp are [[omnivorous]]. They can eat a herbivorous diet of aquatic plants, plant tubers, and seeds, but prefer to scavenge the bottom for [[insect]]s, [[crustacean]]s (including [[zooplankton]] and [[crawfish]]), [[mollusc]]s, [[benthic]] [[worm]]s, [[fish]] [[egg]]s, and fish remains.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Saikia |first1=S. K. |last2=Das |first2=D. N. |date=July 2009 |title=Feeding ecology of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) in a rice–fish culture system of the Apatani plateau (Arunachal Pradesh, India) |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10452-008-9174-y |journal=Aquatic Ecology |language=en |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=559–568 |doi=10.1007/s10452-008-9174-y |bibcode=2009AqEco..43..559S |issn=1386-2588|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cyprinus_carpio/ | title=Cyprinus carpio | website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref> Common carp feed throughout the day, with the most intensive feeding at night and around sunrise.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Žák|first=Jakub|date=2021-11-01|title=Diel pattern in common carp landings from angling competitions corresponds to their assumed foraging activity|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783621002149|journal=Fisheries Research|language=en|volume=243|article-number=106086|doi=10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106086|bibcode=2021FishR.24306086Z |issn=0165-7836|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Feeding mechanisms===
Common carp are benthic feeders and root in sediment for food items. Their barbels may help to feel for food embedded in the sediment, like plant tubers or annelids.<ref name=faohabits/> Carp pick up sediment by generating suction and mouth the content to identify and select food items by taste and size. Gill rakers form a branchial sieve that may aid in food separation, but the carp is also able to clamp down on food items it detects using a muscular palatal pad and inferior postlingual organ. The sediment is passed back and forth between the mouth and pharynx repeatedly as food is found. The carp may end up spitting out sediment,<ref name=sibbing1988>{{cite journal|last=Sibbing|first=Ferdinand A.|title=Specializations and limitations in the utilization of food resources by the carp, ''Cyprinus carpio'': a study of oral food processing|journal=Environmental Biology of Fishes|volume=22|pages=161–178|issue=3|year=1988|doi=10.1007/BF00005379|bibcode=1988EnvBF..22..161S }}</ref> which contributes to water turbidity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/common-carp|title=Field Guide: Common Carp ''Cyprinus carpio''|website=Chesapeake Bay Program|access-date=27 July 2024|year=2024}}</ref>

While common carp have no oral teeth, 10 [[pharyngeal teeth]] are used for crushing or grinding food.<ref name=sibbing1988/><ref>{{cite journal|last=Sibbing|first=Ferdinand A.|title=Pharyngeal mastication and food transport in the carp (''Cyprinus carpio'' L.): A cineradiographic and electromyographic study|journal=Journal of Morphology|volume=172|issue=2|year=1982|pages=223–258|doi=10.1002/jmor.1051720208|pmid=30096970 }}</ref> The carp has no stomach,<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Sibbing|first=F.A.|title=Food handling and mastication in the carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)|degree=PhD|institution=Landbouwhogeschool, Wageningen University|location=Wageningen|year=1984|url=https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/food-handling-and-mastication-in-the-carp-cyprinus-carpio-l|access-date=27 July 2024}}</ref> and the intestinal length can vary based partially on dietary composition in early life.<ref name=faohabits/>

===Reproduction===
An egg-layer, a typical adult female can lay 300,000 eggs in a single [[Spawn (biology)|spawn]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carp-fishing.org/ |title=Carp Fishing for carp fishing information |publisher=Carp-fishing.org |access-date=2011-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221191050/http://www.carp-fishing.org/ |archive-date=2017-02-21 }}</ref> Although carp typically spawn in the spring, in response to rising water temperatures and rainfall, carp can spawn multiple times in a season. In commercial operations, spawning is often stimulated using a process called hypophysation, where [[Freeze drying|lyophilized]] pituitary extract is injected into the fish. The pituitary extract contains gonadotropic hormones, which stimulate gonad maturation and sex steroid production, ultimately promoting reproduction.{{Cn|date=April 2021}}

===Predation===
A single carp can lay over a million eggs in a year.<ref name=arkive/> Eggs and fry often fall victim to bacteria, fungi, and the vast array of tiny predators in the pond environment. Carp that survive to the juvenile stage are preyed upon by other fish such as the [[northern pike]] and [[largemouth bass]], and several [[bird]]s (including [[Great cormorant|cormorants]], [[Grey heron|herons]], [[goosander]]s, and [[osprey]]s)<ref>Cramp, S. (ed.). ''The Birds of the Western Palearctic'' volumes 1 (1977) & 2 (1980). OUP.</ref> and [[mammal]]s (including [[European otter|otter]]<ref name="Mamm_2000">{{cite journal|doi=10.1515/mamm.2000.64.3.287 |title=Selective predation by otters ''Lutra lutra'' on common carp ''Cyprinus carpio'' at farmed fisheries |date=2000 |last1=Kloskowski |first1=J. |journal=Mamm |volume=64 |issue=3 |pages=287–294}}</ref> and mink<ref name="Poole_1976">{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/J.1469-7998.1976.TB02277.X |title=Underwater predatory behaviour of the American mink ''(Mustela vison)'' |date=1976 |last1=Poole |first1=Trevor B. |last2=Dunstone |first2=Nigel |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=178 |issue=3 |pages=395–412 }}</ref>).

===Salinity=== 
Common carp are quite salt tolerant compared to other types of freshwater fish, research studies showed that they can withstand salinity of at least 12 g/L (12 ppt).

==Mirror carp==
[[File:Rectangle the mirror carp at 12lb 8oz.jpg|thumb|A {{cvt|12|lb|adj=on}} mirror carp]]
'''Mirror carp''', regionally known as '''Israeli carp''',{{refn|group="note"|This [[wikt:vernacular|vernacular]] name most likely owes to the [[Israel]]i development of a mirror carp strain called "Dor-70"<ref name="kirpitchnikov" />{{rp|75}} that has been widely exported, although these fish, introduced to the United States in the 1950s, are distinguishable from other fish called mirror carp according to ''Fishes of Arkansas''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Fishes of Arkansas |last1=Robison |first1=Henry W. |last2=Buchanan |first2=Thomas M. |isbn=978-1-68226-103-3 |publisher=The University of Arkansas Press |location=Fayetteville |pages=144 |edition=2nd |year=2020}}</ref>}} are a type of domesticated [[fish]] commonly found in Europe but widely introduced or cultivated elsewhere. They are a variety of the common carp (''Cyprinus carpio'') developed through [[selective breeding]]. The name "mirror carp" originates from their scales' resemblance to mirrors.

===Genetics===
The most striking difference between mirror and common carp is the presence of large, mirror-like scales on the former. The mirror-scale phenotype is caused by a genetic [[mutation]] present at one of two scale trait [[locus (genetics)|loci]], denoted by their S and N [[allele]]s, respectively. The [[genotype]] that produces a mirror scale phenotype is "ssnn" (all recessive), while wild-type carp may have either SSnn or Ssnn genotype.<ref name="kirpitchnikov" />{{rp|13-14}} The "S" locus has been identified as containing the gene encoding [[fibroblast growth factor receptor]] Fgfr1A1, which was [[paralog|duplicated]] during the course of carp evolution and consequently does not typically produce lethal phenotypes when only one locus is mutated.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rohner |first1=Nicolas |last2=Bercsényi |first2=Miklós |last3=Orbán |first3=László |last4=Kolanczyk |first4=Maria E. |last5=Linke |first5=Dirk |last6=Brand |first6=Michael |last7=Nüsslein-Volhard |first7=Christiane |last8=Harris |first8=Matthew P. |title=Duplication of ''fgfr1'' Permits Fgf Signaling to Serve as a Target of Selection during Domestication |journal=Current Biology |volume=19 |issue=19 |date=2009 |pages=1642–1647 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2009.07.065 |doi-access=free|pmid=19733072 |bibcode=2009CBio...19.1642R }}</ref> The "N" locus has not been identified,<ref name="casas">{{cite journal |title=Disappearing Scales in Carps: Re-Visiting Kirpichnikov's Model on the Genetics of Scale Pattern Formation |last1=Casas |first1=Laura |last2=Szűcs |first2=Réka |last3=Vij |first3=Shubha |last4=Goh |first4=Chin Heng |last5=Kathiresan |first5=Purushothaman |last6=Németh |first6=Sándor |last7=Jeney |first7=Zsigmond |last8=Bercsényi |first8=Miklós |last9=Orbán |first9=László |journal=PLOS ONE |date=2013 |volume=8 |issue=12 |article-number=e83327 |id=e83327 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0083327 |doi-access=free|pmid=24386179 |pmc=3875451 |bibcode=2013PLoSO...883327C }}</ref> but is hypothesized to have bearing on the development of embryonic [[mesenchyme]].<ref name="kirpitchnikov">{{cite book |last=Kirpitchnikov |first=Valentin S. |editor-last1=Billard |editor-first1=R. |editor-last2=Repérant |editor-first2=J. |editor-last3=Rio |editor-first3=J.P. |editor-last4=Ward |editor-first4=R. |title=Genetics and Breeding of Common Carp |publisher=INRA |year=1999 |location=Paris |isbn=2-7380-0869-0}}</ref>{{rp|17-18}}

Contrary to popular belief, a leather carp is not always a mirror carp without scales. Similar to mirror carp, leather, or "nude" carp, are homozygous recessive at the "S" locus, but unlike mirror carp, true leather carp are heterozygous for a dominant mutant allele at the "N" locus (ssNn genotype).{{refn|group="note"|Homozygosity for the dominant "N" allele is lethal.<ref name="kirpitchnikov" />{{rp|13}}  Heterozygosity reduces viability.<ref name="kirpitchnikov" />{{rp|15}}}} Leather carp also have reduced numbers of red blood cells and slower growth rates than scaled carp.<ref name="kirpitchnikov" />{{rp|16-17}} Mirror carp from Hungarian and Asian stocks have been observed to have fewer [[pharyngeal teeth]] than scaled carp, while nude carp had fewer still.<ref name="casas" />

A population of mirror carp in [[Madagascar]] (there an [[invasive species]]) was found to have reverted to full scale cover after being introduced from France in the early twentieth century. The feral Malagasy carp still possessed large scales due to their mirror phenotype, but had increased scale coverage approaching that of wild-type carp. Hubert et al. (2016) found that the recessive allele at the "S" locus was still [[fixed allele|fixed]] in the population. They believe that the phenotypic reversion was due to compensation by [[quantitative trait]] loci as a result of a [[natural selection|selective disadvantage]] for partial scaling in the wild, perhaps related to an impairment in parasite resistance.<ref name="hubert">{{cite journal |last1=Hubert |first1=Jean-Noël |last2=Allal |first2=François |last3=Hervet |first3=Caroline |last4=Ravakarivelo |first4=Monique |last5=Jeney |first5=Zsigmond |last6=Vergnet |first6=Alain |last7=Guyomard |first7=René |last8=Vandeputte |first8=Marc |year=2016 |title=How could fully scaled carps appear in natural waters in Madagascar? |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=283 |issue=1837 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2016.0945 |pmc=5013790 |pmid=27559059 |id=20160945 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Introduction into other habitats==
[[File:LakePowellCarp5437.jpg|thumb|Carp in [[Lake Powell]], Arizona]][[Image:Carps in River.JPG|thumb|Carp in the [[Maribyrnong River]], Australia]][[File:Carp in Herbert Park Pond, Dublin.jpg|thumb|Carp in the duck pond in [[Herbert Park]], Dublin, Ireland]]
[[File:Koi feeding, National Arboretum.jpg|thumb|right|Koi feeding. The koi are ornamental varieties of domesticated carp and are kept in garden ponds. Although the koi's parent species has been considered the common carp, recent authorities believe it originates from an East Asian carp, possibly ''[[Cyprinus rubrofuscus]]''.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name=Craig2015/>]]

Common carp have been introduced to most continents and some 59 countries. In absence of natural predators or [[commercial fishing]], they may extensively alter their environments due to their reproductive rate and their feeding habit of grubbing through bottom sediments for food. In feeding, they may destroy, uproot, disturb and eat submerged vegetation, causing serious damage to [[food source]]s and [[habitat]]s of native duck (such as [[canvasback]]s) and fish populations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lakeconservation.com/ |title=Welcome to |publisher=Lakeconservation.com |date=2010-01-15 |access-date=2011-12-03 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127114908/http://www.lakeconservation.com/ |archive-date=2013-01-27 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Lackmann|first1=Alec R.|last2=Andrews|first2=Allen H.|last3=Butler|first3=Malcolm G.|last4=Bielak-Lackmann|first4=Ewelina S.|last5=Clark|first5=Mark E.|date=2019-05-23|title=Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus sets freshwater teleost record as improved age analysis reveals centenarian longevity|journal=Communications Biology|language=En|volume=2|issue=1|page=197|doi=10.1038/s42003-019-0452-0|pmid=31149641|pmc=6533251|issn=2399-3642}}</ref>

In 2020, scientists demonstrated that a small proportion of fertilized common carp eggs ingested by waterfowl survive passing through the digestive tract and hatch after being retrieved from the feces.<ref>{{cite news |title=Experiment shows it is possible for fish to migrate via ingestion by birds |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-06-fish-migrate-ingestion-birds.html |access-date=5 July 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lovas-Kiss |first1=Ádám |last2=Vincze |first2=Orsolya |last3=Löki |first3=Viktor |last4=Pallér-Kapusi |first4=Felícia |last5=Halasi-Kovács |first5=Béla |last6=Kovács |first6=Gyula |last7=Green |first7=Andy J. |last8=Lukács |first8=Balázs András |title=Experimental evidence of dispersal of invasive cyprinid eggs inside migratory waterfowl |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=18 June 2020 |volume=117 |issue=27 |pages=15397–15399 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2004805117 |pmid=32571940 |pmc=7355035 |bibcode=2020PNAS..11715397L |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}</ref> Birds exhibit strong preference for fish eggs, while cyprinids produce hundreds of thousands of eggs at a single spawning event. These data indicate that despite the low proportion of eggs surviving the digestive tract of birds, endozoochory might provide a potentially overlooked dispersal mechanism of invasive cyprinid fish. If proven under natural circumstances, endozoochorous dispersal of invasive fish could be a strong conservation concern for freshwater biodiversity.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

=== Australia ===
Carp were introduced to [[Australia]] over 150 years ago but were not seen as a recognised pest species until the "Boolarra" strain appeared in the 1960s.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Carp in Australian rivers {{!}} NSW Department of Primary Industries|url=https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/research/areas/aquatic-ecosystems/outputs/2005/666|access-date=2021-01-31|website=www.dpi.nsw.gov.au|archive-date=2021-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128200626/https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/research/areas/aquatic-ecosystems/outputs/2005/666}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wednesday|first=9 August 2006 Judy SkatssoonABC|date=2006-08-09|title=Mother of all Aussie carp may be German|url=https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/08/09/1709469.htm|access-date=2021-01-31|website=www.abc.net.au|language=en-AU}}</ref> After spreading massively through the [[Murray–Darling basin]], aided by massive flooding in 1974,<ref name=":1" /> they have established themselves in every Australian territory except for the [[Northern Territory]].<ref name="csiro" /> In [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], the common carp has been declared a noxious fish species, and the [[slot limit|quantity]] a fisherman can take is unlimited.<ref>[http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfaq.nsf/LinkView/038067B67D8D0260CA2571F6007C592FB43DB2A1BECEB2A04A256812001DD817 Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide 2006-2007]</ref> In [[South Australia]], it is an offence for this species to be released back to the wild.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fishsa.com/?dropdownmenu=%2F |title=fishsa.com |access-date=2007-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703044849/http://www.fishsa.com/?dropdownmenu=%2F |archive-date=2013-07-03 }}</ref> An Australian company produces plant fertilizer from carp.<ref>[http://www.charliecarp.com/environment.htm carp as fertilizer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125114407/http://www.charliecarp.com/environment.htm |date=2007-01-25 }}</ref><ref>Schremmer, Jessica. [https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2021-01-17/carp-highly-sought-after-as-fertiliser-demand-skyrockets/13048124 Carp finally find fans as fertiliser demand skyrockets for veggie gardens during pandemic] ''[[ABC Rural]]'', 17 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.</ref>

Efforts to eradicate a small colony from [[Lake Crescent (Tasmania)|Lake Crescent]] in [[Tasmania]], without using chemicals, have been successful, but the long-term, expensive and intensive undertaking is an example of both the possibility and difficulty of safely removing the species once it is established.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kelly|first=Margot|date=February 5, 2020|title=Carp success, after long battle against invasive fish, has trout faithful rejoicing|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-05/carp-success-lake-sorell-reopens-trout-fishing/11932166|access-date=June 6, 2020|website=ABC News}}</ref> One proposal, regarded as environmentally questionable, is to control common carp numbers by deliberately exposing them to the carp-specific [[koi herpes virus]] with its high mortality rate.<ref name=csiro>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/BF/Areas/Invasive-species-and-diseases/Biological-control/Biocontrol-of-carp|title=Reducing Australia's carp invasion|website=CSIRO|access-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723224411/https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/BF/Areas/Invasive-species-and-diseases/Biological-control/Biocontrol-of-carp|archive-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> In 2016, the Australian Government announced plans to release this virus into the Murray–Darling basin in an attempt to reduce the number of invasive common carp in the water system.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-01/herpes-to-eradicate-carp-in-murray-river-pyne-says/7373736|title=Herpes virus to be used in fight against carp in Murray River, Christopher Pyne says|first1=Nick|last1=Kilvert|first2=Kerrin|last2=Thomas|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|website=ABC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505164116/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-01/herpes-to-eradicate-carp-in-murray-river-pyne-says/7373736|archive-date=5 May 2016|date=1 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="CSIRO-Carp-herpesvirus">{{cite web | title=Carp herpesvirus | website=Managing Water Ecosystems - CSIRO | date=2018-04-26 | url=http://research.csiro.au/mwe/carp-herpesvirus/ | access-date=2020-11-09}}</ref> However, in 2020, this plan was found to be unlikely to work.<ref name="Mintram-2020">{{cite journal | last1=Mintram | first1=Kate S. | last2=Oosterhout | first2=Cock | last3=Lighten | first3=Jackie | editor-last=Knutie | editor-first=Sarah | title=Genetic variation in resistance and high fecundity impede viral biocontrol of invasive fish | journal=Journal of Applied Ecology | publisher=Wiley | date=2020-10-14 | volume=58 | pages=148–157 | issn=0021-8901 | doi=10.1111/1365-2664.13762 | doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[CSIRO]] has also developed a technique for genetically modifying carp so that they only produce male offspring. This [[daughterless carp]] method shows promise for totally eradicating carp from Australia's waterways.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

=== North America ===
Common carp were brought to the [[United States]] in 1831.<ref>[http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/asiancarp.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007184712/http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/asiancarp.htm|date=October 7, 2010}}</ref> In the late 19th century, they were distributed widely throughout the country by the government as a [[food fish]], but they are now rarely eaten in the United States, where they are generally considered pests. As in Australia, their introduction has been shown to have negative environmental consequences.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.asp?speciesID=4 |title=USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program |access-date=2017-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510183452/http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=4 |archive-date=2009-05-10 }}</ref>

In [[Utah]], the common carp's population in [[Utah Lake]] is expected to be reduced by 75 percent by using [[fishing net|net]]s to catch millions of them, and either giving them to people who will eat them or processing them into [[fertilizer]]. This, in turn, will give the declining population of the native [[June sucker]] a chance to recover.<ref name="utah-lake-carp-sltrib-20150901">{{cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/2855320-155/utah-lake-carp-census-gauges-whether|title=Utah Lake carp census gauges whether evictions-by-the-ton are succeeding|date=September 1, 2015|first=Brian|last=Maffly|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|access-date=May 22, 2017|archive-date=April 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429014957/http://www.sltrib.com/home/2855320-155/utah-lake-carp-census-gauges-whether}}</ref> Another method of control is to trap them with [[seine net]]s in tributaries they use to spawn, and exposing them to the [[piscicide]] [[rotenone]]. This method has been shown to reduce their impact within 24 hours and greatly increase native vegetation and desirable fish species. It also allows native fish to prey more easily on young carp.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

Common carp are thought to have been introduced into the Canadian province of [[British Columbia]] from the neighboring [[Washington state]]. They were first noted in the [[Okanagan Valley]] in 1912, as was their rapid growth in population. Carp are currently distributed in the lower [[Columbia River|Columbia]] ([[Arrow Lakes]]), lower [[Kootenay River|Kootenay]], Kettle ([[Christina Lake (British Columbia)|Christina Lake]]), and throughout the [[Okanagan River|Okanagan]] system.<ref>[http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/cbasin/peter_myles/intr_cyprinidae.html#i_cyprinus_carpio Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031211/http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/cbasin/peter_myles/intr_cyprinidae.html#i_cyprinus_carpio |date=2007-09-28 }} on Living Landscapes, from the [[Royal British Columbia Museum]]</ref>

==Common carp aquaculture==
[[File:Common carp, aquaculture production, million tonnes, 1950-2022.svg|thumb|400x400px|Global aquaculture production of Common carp (''Cyprinus carpio'') in million tonnes from 1950 to 2022, as reported by the [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]]<ref>FAO. 2024. Global Production. In: ''Fisheries and Aquaculture''. Published March 29th, 2024. https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/collection/global_production?lang=en</ref>]]
Common carp contributed around 4.67 million tons on a global scale during 2015–2016, roughly accounting for 7.4% of the total global inland fisheries production. In Europe, common carp contributed 1.8% (0.17 Mt) of the total inland fisheries production (9.42 Mt) during 2015–2016. It is a major farmed species in European freshwater aquaculture with production localized in central and eastern European countries. The Russian Federation (0.06 Mt) followed by Poland (0.02 Mt), Czech Republic (0.02 Mt), Hungary (0.01 Mt) and Ukraine (0.01 Mt) represents about 70% of carp production in Europe during 2016. In fact, the land‐locked central European countries rely heavily on common carp aquaculture in fishponds. The average productivity of carp culture systems in central European countries ranges between 0.3 and 1 ton ha−1. The European common carp production, in terms of volume, reached its peak (0.18 Mt) during 2009–2010 and has been declining since. Carp farming is often criticized as an anthropogenic driver of eutrophication of inland freshwater bodies - especially in the Central Eastern European Region (CEER). There has been some debate between environmentalists and carp farmers concerning eutrophication of water bodies, manifested into lobbying at ministry levels surrounding fishpond legislations.<ref>Roy, K., Vrba, J., Kaushik, S.J. and Mraz, J. (2020), Feed‐based common carp farming and eutrophication: is there a reason for concern?. Rev Aquacult. doi:10.1111/raq.12407</ref><ref>FAO FishStat (2017) Fisheries and Aquaculture Software. FishStat Plus – Universal Software for Fishery Statistical Time Series. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department [online], Rome. Updated 14 September 2017. [Cited 20 Apr 2018.] Available from URL: http://www.fao.org/fishery/</ref> European carp aquaculture in [[fish pond]]s most likely has a lower nutrient burden to the environment than most food production sectors in the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Roy |first1=Koushik |last2=Vrba |first2=Jaroslav |last3=Kaushik |first3=Sadasivam J. |last4=Mraz |first4=Jan |title=Nutrient footprint and ecosystem services of carp production in European fishponds in contrast to EU crop and livestock sectors |journal=Journal of Cleaner Production |date=October 2020 |volume=270 |article-number=122268 |doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122268 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2020JCPro.27022268R |hdl=10553/73571 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

==As food and sport==
{{See also|Carp fishing}}
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2021}}
[[File:Преспански крап.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lake Prespa]] carp, as served]]
[[Image:Carp fly fishing.jpg|thumb|European carp caught with an [[artificial fly]]]]

===Breeding and fishing===

The Romans farmed carp and this pond culture continued through the monasteries of Europe and to this day. In China, Korea, and Japan, carp farming took place as early as the [[Yayoi period]] (c. 300 BC – AD 300).<ref>Daily Yomiuri newspaper, September 19, 2008</ref>

The annual tonnage of common carp produced in [[China]] alone, not to mention the other cyprinids, exceeds the weight of all other fish, such as trout and salmon, produced by aquaculture worldwide. Roughly three million tonnes are produced annually, accounting for 14% of all farmed freshwater fish in 2002. China is by far the largest commercial producer, accounting for about 70% of carp production.<ref name=fao/> Carp is eaten in many parts of the world both when caught from the wild and raised in [[aquaculture]].

Common carp are extremely popular with [[Fisherman|angler]]s in many parts of Europe, and their popularity as quarry is slowly increasing among anglers in the United States (though they are still generally considered pests and destroyed in most areas of the U.S.), and southern Canada. Carp are also popular with spear, bow, and fly fishermen.<ref>David Batten: An Introduction to Carp
Fishing, p. 24</ref>

===Food culture===
In [[Central Europe]], it is a traditional part of a [[Christmas Eve]] dinner. Hungarian [[fisherman's soup]], a specially prepared fish soup of carp alone or mixed with other freshwater fish, is part of the traditional meal for Christmas Eve in Hungary along with stuffed cabbage and poppy seed roll and walnut roll. A traditional Czech Christmas Eve dinner is a thick [[Fish soup|soup]] of carp's head and offal, [[Fried fish|fried carp meat]] (sometimes the meat is skinned and baked instead) with [[potato salad]] or boiled carp in black sauce.<ref> HRDINOVÁ, Radka. The tradition of carp with salad is not even a hundred years old. What was eaten for Christmas before?. iHNed.cz . 23/12/2011.</ref> A Slovak Christmas Eve dinner is quite similar, with soup varying according to the region and fried carp as the main dish. Also in [[Austria]], parts of [[Germany]], and [[Poland]], a fried carp is one of the traditional dishes on Christmas Eve.<ref> Lis Raabe: Alte Weihnachtsbräuche aus deutschsprachigen Ländern. Heyne, München 1984</ref> Carp are mixed with other common fish to make [[gefilte fish]], popular in [[Jewish cuisine]].<ref>Falsche Fish. In: Gil Marks: Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken NJ 2010, p. 185.</ref> 

In [[Western Europe]], the carp is cultivated more commonly as a sport fish, although there is a small market for it as a food fish.<ref>[http://www.carp-uk.net/carpfacts.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723035631/http://www.carp-uk.net/carpfacts.htm|date=July 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>[http://www.fatanglingtours.com/carpinfo.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102081418/http://www.fatanglingtours.com/carpinfo.htm|date=January 2, 2015}}</ref> 

In the [[United States]], carp is mostly ignored as a food fish. Almost all U.S. shoppers bypass carp, due to a preference for filleted fish as opposed to cooking whole. Carp have smaller intramuscular bones called y-bones, which makes them a whole fish species for cooking.

When Eurasian Carp was introduced to [[Lake Toba]] in [[Sumatra]], it was adapted to be used for the traditional dish [[Arsik]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-17 |title=Arsik Recipe (Spiced Carp with Torch Ginger and Andaliman - Mandailing Style) » Indonesia Eats |work=Indonesia Eats |url=https://indonesiaeats.com/arsik-indonesian-andaliman-spiced-carp-batak/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |archive-date=2020-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017132159/https://indonesiaeats.com/arsik-indonesian-andaliman-spiced-carp-batak/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of freshwater aquarium fish species]]
*[[Japanese white crucian carp]]
*[[Rough fish]]
*[[Benson (fish)|Benson]], a notable common carp
*[[Mud carp]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="note"}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Cyprinus carpio}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051126203610/http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/fish/Cyprinus_carpio/ Cyprinus carpio] Arkive
*{{SealifePhotos|154582}}
*[http://research.csiro.au/mwe/carp-herpesvirus/ Carp herpesvirus - Managing Water Ecosystems - CSIRO]
*[http://www.fishingeye.co.uk Carp Fishingeye - information about Mirror carp fishing]
*[http://www.farnhamanglingsociety.com  Galleries of Mirror & Common carp & UK carp fishing venues]
*[http://www.carp-fishingholidayfrance.co.uk  Photographs of Mirror carp caught at fishing venue in France] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224912/http://www.carp-fishingholidayfrance.co.uk/ |date=2013-12-02 }}
*[http://www.carpcorner.co.uk/Conningbrook-Mid-Kent-Fishery-Carp-Fishing-Austin-Holness.html  The British Record Mirror Carp]

{{Carp|state=expanded}}
{{Commercial fish topics}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q81110}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cyprinus]]
[[Category:Carp]]
[[Category:Commercial fish]]
[[Category:Cyprinid fish of Asia]]
[[Category:Cyprinid fish of Europe]]
[[Category:Fish described in 1758]]
[[Category:Fish of Korea]]
[[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of North America]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of New Zealand]]