Common carp - Cyprinus carpio (original) (raw)

Click for more moviesClick for more still imagesClick for more information Email to a friend© Tim Martin / naturepl.com**Status:**Domestic carp: common and widespread: not threatened. Wild carp: classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List 2003. DescriptionThe carp was introduced to Britain by the Romans, who collected wild carp from the River Danube and introduced them throughout Europe as a source of food. The carp that occurs in Britain today is the most commercially important freshwater fish kept in ponds, and has been selectively bred for centuries. This breeding has led to two main differences between ‘domesticated’ carp and wild carp (which do not occur in Britain); domestic carp have a much faster growth rate and a relatively short body with a high back and deep belly. The body is greyish to bronze in colour and two fleshy barbels project downwards at either side of the mouth. The number of scales varies greatly, with some individuals (known as leather carp) completely lacking scales. The usual form found in Britain is called the king carp, another form, the mirror carp has a single row of large scales along the sides.Click for more information