Description 

Length: Up to 1 Meter 
Weight: Up To 20 kg 
Triangular head 
Lower half of the caudal fin and the anal fin may have a reddish hue 
The young begin to resemble the adult form when they reach 4 to 5 inches 
The mouth has a pair of barbel on each side
One barbel is shorter than the other 
The long dorsal fin has a serrated spine with 17 to 21 rays 
The anal fin has a spine 
Carp may be fully scaled, irregularly scaled or nearly naked 
Irregularly scaled carp may have scales that range from very small to large scales 

Average Size at various Ages in Inches 

Carp Diet 

Snails 
Mollusks 
Worms 
Algae 
Insects (larvae and adults) 
Crustaceans 
Aquatic plants (dead or living) 
Seeds (1000s of seeds have been found) 
Detritus

Feeding Habits

Most food for carp is found within bottom detritus 
Uproot vegetation when searching for food and during feeding 
Expel water, mud and debris during feeding, often resulting in aquatic plants being uprooted, nutrients being released and sediments becoming resuspended in the water. 
Deep water (greater than 10m) inhibits feeding 
Adults are generally omnivorous bottom feeders 
Consumption of seeds may lead to competition between carp and waterfowl 
Food is retained in the gut for 22 to 50 hours at 12.5°C 
Food is retained in the gut for 16 to 25 hours at 20°C 
The total amount of food consumed daily represents 3.9% of the mean body weight 
As the carp biomass increases, the submergent vegetation biomass decreases.

Spawning Activity

Occurs from May to August 
Peak spawning occurs from mid-May to June 
Require a water temperature of 17 to 26°C for spawning to occur 
Usually spawn in groups of 3 or 4 males and one female 
Larger groups may occur 
Deep water inhibits spawning 
Shallow water (18 - 50 cm) facilitates spawning 
A shallow flooded area with abundant vegetation is required on which eggs are deposited 
Splashing and physical activity may uproot and flatten aquatic plants 
Extensive damage may occur from larger populations 
Carp race about and splash loudly in the water 
Carp do not build nests or care for their young 
The eggs are slightly adhesive so they stick to debris, plants or may sink to the underlying substrate 
Females lay 500 to 600 eggs at one time 
The largest female reported in North America laid 100,000 eggs!!!!!!! 
Carp first spawn from ages 2 to 4 years old 
They may spawn at day or night 
Stages of Carp Development

Longevity

A long lived and rapid growing fish 
May reach up to an age of 20 years or more 
In North America the largest reported carp was 60 pounds 

Mortality Factors

Carnivorous fish such as pike 
Fish-eating birds, which selectively prey on carp up to one year old 
Drying up of marshes

Predation 

The agility and rapid growth of the young carp allow them to reduce the amount of predation 
Young carp may hide in aquatic vegetation, again reducing predation 
Carp have strong spines which make them unsuitable for many predators 

Why Are They So Successful?

Carp have the ability to tolerate unfavorable environmental conditions such as:

Salinity of up to 14% in marshes 
High temperatures 
High levels of water contamination 
Low oxygen levels 
They can tolerate waters with dissolved oxygen as low as 1mg/L O2