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Common carp
Cyrinus carpio
Bill Byrne, MA
Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Bill Byrne, MA
Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Habitat requirements and life history:
The common carp, which is native to the Europe and Asia, was
introduced from Germany to Massachusetts in the late 19th
century. It is the leviathan of the minnow family and the
largest freshwater fish in the state. Carp prefer warm, slow-moving
rivers, lakes, ponds and impoundments with muddy bottoms and
lots of vegetation. They often thrive in degraded areas, such
as urban waterways, where native fishes cannot survive. Specifically,
carp can tolerate low oxygen levels, very high or low water
temperatures, and turbidity. The carp, an omnivore, ingests
mouthfuls of bottom sediments, expels them into the water,
and then eats the insects, crustaceans, worms, aquatic plants
and algae it contains. Probably the largest portion of the
carp diet is aquatic vegetation. The AMC Guide to Freshwater
Fishing in New England describes the carp as a "swimming pig."
Carp spawn in the spring and early summer when the water reaches
the low 60s. At this time, groups of carp move into shallow,
warmer, vegetated waters where they lay and fertilize tiny
eggs that adhere to submerged vegetation and roots. You can
often tell when carp are spawning because their breeding behavior
is marked by much splashing, thrashing and even jumping out
of the water. Spawning ceases once the water exceeds the low
80s Fahrenheit. (Sources:
Freshwater Fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland,
& Delaware, Massachusetts Wildlife, No. 2, 2000, Special Fishing
Issue and AMC Guide to Freshwater Fishing in New England)
Total length:
commonly 24 inches (occasionally up to 48 inches)
Pollution tolerance (US EPA): Tolerant
Classification:
Macrohabitat generalist
Number of fish found during 1954 &
2001 Fish Surveys*:
| Location |
No. of Fish 1954 |
No. of Fish 2001 |
| Assabet River |
0 |
29 |
| Total |
0 |
29 |
*Sources:
Schlotterbeck, L.C. and W.A. Tompkins, 1954. "A
Fisheries Investigation of the Merrimack and Ipswich River Drainages."
Bureau of Wildlife Research and Management, Massachusetts Division
of Fisheries and Game.
DFW, 2001. Assabet Watershed Fish Survey. MA Department of
Fisheries and Wildlife, Westborough, MA.
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