Larger Unusual Fish Species That Anglers May Encounter - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Enter Search Term(s): Search DEC Skip to main navigation Larger Unusual Fish Species That Anglers May Encounter Note: This article first appeared in the November/December 1991 issue of The Conservationist magazine. Recently updated. Authors- John Hasse & Eileen C. Stegemann. Eighth in a 14-part series describing the Freshwater Fishes of New York. New York State's waters are home to a number of unusual fish. Some, like carp and goldfish, are easily recognized by most people. Others, such as bowfin and gar, may only be familiar to Great Lakes and Lake Champlain fishermen. And still others, such as quillback, have probably only been seen by a handful of New Yorkers. Each of New York State's unusual fish has its own unique qualities and distinct appearance. From the longnose gar with its long snout and numerous sharp teeth to the snakelike eel that can reach 3.5 feet in length, these fish are all interesting animals to observe.

Because of the large number of fish species that are in this category, New York State's unusual fish will be discussed in two articles. This article describes a few of New York State's most unusual fish that anglers can encounter. Carp First introduced into New York State waters in 1831, carp are now found across the State. They are distinct in appearance, usually with large heavy scales covering their bodies and two short whiskers (called barbels) surrounding their mouths. Their fins have a deep red tint and the dorsal (back) and anal (bottom rear) fins each have a single thick, saw-toothed spine that can produce a nasty wound if touched carelessly. Carp can grow quite large in New York State's waters, more than 40 pounds! They eat a variety of plant and animal material and are often spotted by the cloud of mud they stir up as they feed. It is not uncommon to see and hear carp sucking in floating insects at the water's surface. Carp display interesting spawning (reproduction) habits. During late spring and early summer, they thrash and splash their way into very shallow, weedy areas and broadcast their eggs.

Their bodies are sometimes completely exposed out of the water and the splashing they make is quite a sight to see. A 20-pound female carp will lay nearly 10 million eggs. Originally from Asia, carp were first brought to New York State to provide another food fish. Over time, however, they have become less popular as a food item and instead have picked up the reputation of a "polluted fish." Although carp can tolerate polluted waters, they prefer clean waters. Carp taken from clean waters are excellent to eat. Carp are commercially marketed live, smoked, or cleaned and iced. Goldfish Often considered a pet, goldfish also live in the wild and are found in many waters across New York State. They prefer warm, weedy, shallow sections of smaller ponds and lakes, as well as slow-moving rivers such as the Mohawk and Hudson. While goldfish kept as pets may never get larger than six inches, "wild" goldfish often reach 12 to 14 inches long. They are very similar in appearance to carp, but can be told apart by the lack of barbels around their mouths. Goldfish can be quite colorful in appearance, but most are dull olive green (more effective when hiding from predators).

Goldfish are native to China and have been kept as pets for centuries. New York State's goldfish populations are the result of illegally released pets or escapees from bait buckets. They are hardy fish that easily adapt to different waters and are, therefore, prohibited for use as bait. Quillback Quillback have a limited distribution in New York State. They are only found in large rivers and lakes, such as Erie, Ontario, and Champlain and the Susquehanna and Allegheny rivers. Although quillback closely resemble carp, they are easily distinguished by the lack of barbels around their mouths. In addition, quillback are generally smaller (ten to 15 inches long) and lack heavy spines at the beginning of their dorsal and anal fins. Quillback get their name from the long, soft (quill-like) ray on the front of their dorsal fin. Only a few facts are known about the life history of the quillback. Adults feed on insects and invertebrates and have few natural enemies. Spawning takes place in spring. Quillback have little interaction with anglers. At times, they are caught on doughballs, but few people actively try to catch these bony fish.

Grass Carp Grass carp are one of the largest members of the minnow family, commonly reaching weights in excess of 25 pounds. Native to the rivers of eastern China and the Soviet Union, grass carp have the unique ability to eat and, therefore, control a wide variety of submergent plants. This behavior has led to grass carp being introduced into waters all over the world for aquatic weed control purposes. Although grass carp are related to both common carp and goldfish, they differ in appearance and feeding habits. Grass carp lack barbels and spinney dorsal and anal fin rays. In addition, grass carp feed strictly by grazing aquatic vegetation and do not share the bottom feeding habits typical of common carp and goldfish. Grass carp can be used as a biological form of aquatic weed control. While fertile (able to reproduce) grass carp have been used in many countries, the majority of states in the U.S. (including New York State) prohibit its introduction due to concerns about the fish reproducing and possibly destroying valuable wetland communities. In 1983, creation of a sterile (called triploid) grass carp eliminated reproduction concerns. New York State now allows the use of triploid grass carp on a limited permit basis.

Like any other weed control method, the use of triploid grass carp is effective in some situations and not effective in others. Triploid grass carp are most effective when used in small (less than five acres) weed-choked waters where low numbers of these fish can be stocked. DEC monitors the use of triploid grass carp by a stocking permit program administered through the Bureau of Fisheries office. It is prohibited to possess grass carp without a permit. Anglers who may by chance catch a grass carp should immediately return it to the water unharmed. Suckers A large group of fish, numerous species of suckers inhabit New York State's waters. Some, such as the redhorse, are only found in a few waters in the State, while others, such as the white sucker, can be found all over New York State. Suckers look like large minnows. They have generally large fleshy lips and most species have underslung mouths. The shape, size, and coloration for a single species may vary according to the habitat they live in. Suckers range in size from six to 24 inches. They are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material along the bottom of streams and lakes.

Suckers are spring spawners. During the spawning period, males develop small, raised structures called tubercles on their head and fins. Suckers migrate upstream and spawn in groups in shallow, swift water. Like salmon, some suckers make large "spawning runs" in certain New York State streams. Suckers are a main food item of osprey and eagles. They are fun to fish for and although few people have tried them, they are excellent to eat. They have firm, white, light-tasting meat, especially during spring. Longnose Gar Known as "living fossils" to some biologists, longnose gar have been around for nearly 100 million years. They are very distinct in appearance, with long, narrow, well-toothed snouts, arrow-shaped bodies, and heavy, rough scales. Gar are large and can reach three feet in length. Longnose gar are found around weeds and sunken logs in lakes and slack-water areas of large streams. They can survive in water with low oxygen levels because their unusual swim bladder allow them to breathe oxygen from the air. Adult gar often occur in groups and will float at the surface. In New York State, gar occur in the St.

Lawrence River, the Niagara River, Lake Champlain, eastern Lake Ontario, and the larger tributaries to these waters. Longnose gar often spawn in groups. Newly hatched gar use an adhesive pad found on the tip of their snouts to attach themselves to vegetation. During their first year, gar are the fastest growing freshwater fish in the State, growing nearly five times faster than most other fish species. Gar are voracious feeders, mostly eating other fish. Although some anglers blame them for eating sportfish, gar mostly eat fish species of no economic importance to people. Only a few anglers actively fish for gar. Gar eggs are extremely toxic to humans, but their flesh (though difficult to prepare) is edible. Bowfin The bowfin is another of New York State's living dinosaurs, having been here for the last 60 million years. They are large fish, averaging 18 to 24 inches in length and growing up to 11 pounds in weight. Bowfin are so distinct in appearance they are unlikely to be confused with other fish species. They have a massive round head with heavy plates on the cheeks, a large mouth loaded with pointed teeth, a rounded tail and a long, wavy dorsal fin.

There is an oval black spot at the base of the tail, and their fins are often bright green with some orange highlights on males. Bowfin have a limited range in New York State. They live in Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and its larger tributaries, and a few other large water bodies in Central New York. Similar to bullheads and longnose gar, bowfin can live in waters with low oxygen levels. Their modified swim bladder is lung-like, enabling bowfin to gulp air at the water's surface. Spawning occurs in May and June. Adult males build nests by biting and tearing out leaves and stems of rooted vegetation. After the eggs hatch, the young attach to nearby vegetation with the aid of an adhesive tip on the snout. Male bowfin stay and guard the eggs and young for up to several weeks. Although bowfin put up a good fight when hooked, only a few anglers fish for them. Juveniles make interesting and colorful specimens in a fish tank. Burbot Odd in appearance, burbot look somewhat like a cross between a bullhead and an eel.

They have an elongated body with a single prominent chin barbel much the same as bullheads, and long dorsal and anal fins similar to those of eels. Their bodies are covered with tiny, deeply embedded scales that give burbot a "slimy" feeling. Burbot are found sporadically across the State. They usually live in lakes, but are also found in some streams where there is cool water and plenty of hiding places. They are unique among New York State fish in that they are the only freshwater species that spawn in midwinter with ten to 12 fish forming spawning fish balls. Although burbot are frequently caught by anglers, most people do not eat them. In the past, Indians and Europeans ate these fish, but today, human consumption is mostly limited to Scandinavian people who relish the livers. Freshwater Drum A big water fish, freshwater drum or sheepshead, can grow to be 20 plus inches in length and ten pounds in weight. These heavy-bodied fish have a blunt head and a pronounced humpback appearance. By using the muscles surrounding the swim bladder, these fish can produce a drumming sound, hence the name. Freshwater drum live in big rivers and lakes.

They prefer clear water, but are quite tolerant of turbid conditions. They use their numerous small rounded teeth for crushing and eating their favorite foods (freshwater snails, clams, and crayfish). Their unique skull has many cavities and supports for the muscles needed to grind up these foods. Freshwater drum have a long spawning season. They are unique in that they are the only North American freshwater fish that have planktonic eggs that float and drift with the currents. Spawning of drums has never been observed in the wild. Freshwater drum have large otoliths or ear bones. These round, smooth bones, called "lucky stones," are often picked up on the beach as a souvenir. On one side, there is an angled groove that forms an L for luck. Drums are commercially harvested on a small basis in the Great Lakes. The catch is mostly used for animal foods, though smaller fish are eaten by humans. Freshwater drum have a reputation of putting up a good fight when caught on hook and line. American Eel A familiar shape to most people, the eel's long, slender, snakelike body is hard to confuse with other fish. Small, embedded scales like those of burbot give eels a slippery feeling.

American eels have both their dorsal and anal fins connected to the tail so they appear to have one continuous fin wrapped around the end of their bodies. Migratory fish, eels are found from the ocean to the headwaters of many streams. They spend most of their time buried in the gravel and mud or hiding under rocks. Due to their snakelike way of moving, eels are able to bypass most barriers and have even been seen crossing lawns during heavy rains. Eels are the only freshwater fish in New York State that are catadromous, meaning they migrate out to sea to spawn. It is not known exactly where and how they spawn, but the suspected spawning site is the Sargasso Sea. Spawning adults and eggs have never been found, and it is assumed the adults die after spawning. During the first stages of life, eels have a larval form. The larvae are transparent ribbonlike creatures that drift with the current and take approximately one year to reach the New York State area. When they grow to be 2.5 inches long, larval eels then change into the classic eel shape. Now called glass eels, they are still transparent.

As these glass eels near coastal rivers, they become colored and are called "elvers." The three inch long elvers then begin the trip upstream with females moving far upstream, while males remain near the ocean. Eels usually spend ten years in freshwater before returning to the sea to spawn. Eels are important commercial fish in New York State. Most are exported to Europe and Japan, where they are smoked, jellied, or cooked in olive oil and vinegar. Unfortunately, many of the prime fishing areas for eels have been closed due to high PCB levels. Unusual Fish and People The term unusual can mean many things when talking about New York State's fish. It does not necessarily mean a fish is uncommon or odd in appearance. Fish that display unique behavior or are exotic (originally from another area) to the State may also be considered unusual elsewhere. Many waters contain fish species that were not native nor the result of an authorized introduction or stocking. One common method for fish to be introduced is by people placing live fish or eggs into waters that may or may not already contain them.

This may occur if aquarium fish outgrow their homes, when fishermen release their bait at the end of a day's fishing, or when people intentionally introduce a new fish into a water. While none of the these actions seem harmful, they can actually cause a lot of damage to the aquatic community of a water. Introduced fish can harm the local aquatic community in a number of unanticipated ways, including: disrupt or even destroy long-established feeding relationships compete with local fish species for food and space alter habitat (grass carp may eat vegetation that is important for another fish species spawning) To avoid the possible harmful effects that introduced fish species can cause, there are a few simple rules you can follow: don't stock waters with live fish unless you have a permit by DEC; don't release baitfish into a water body at the end of a day's fishing even if you doubt they will survive; and don't use live baitfish in waters expressly forbidding this. Scientific Names Many species of fish look alike, making it difficult to tell them apart. In addition, many types of fish have different common names in different parts of the country. To distinguish one organism from another, biologists give each a scientific name that is unique to that organism.

The names are derived from the Latin language and consist of a genus and a species. The genus name is first and is capitalized. The species is second and is in lower case. Both the genus and species are either underlined or italicized when written. While several organisms in the same "family" share a common genus name (like family members sharing a last name), they have different species names. Occasionally, two members of a family are so similar that one is considered a subspecies of the other. In these cases, the organisms are given two species names. Here are the common and scientific names of New York State's unusual fish: Scientific Names of Fish Species Common Name Carp erythrodermatitis | Article about carp erythrodermatitis by The Free Dictionary Carp erythrodermatitis | Article about carp erythrodermatitis by The Free Dictionary carp, hardy freshwater fish, Cyprinus carpio, the largest member of the minnow minnow, common name for the Cyprinidae, a large family of freshwater fish which includes the carp (Cyprinus carpio), and of which there are some 2,400 species. Minnows have soft-rayed fins and teeth in the throat only. .....

Click the link for more information. family; it is also known as the common carp. A native of Black, Caspian, and Aral sea basins of Eurasia, the carp has been introduced widely elsewhere in the world and has become so well established that it is called the English sparrow of the fishes. Many variations in color and form have developed. Carp have four barbels ("whiskers") around the mouth and are usually dark greenish or brown (occasionally yellowish or silvery), with red on some of the fins. Most carp are scaled, although the mirror carp variant has only a few scattered scales and the leather carp has none. Carp may reach a length of 3 ft (91 cm) and a weight of 25 lbs (11.3 kg). They are bottom feeders, eating chiefly aquatic plants but also insects and small animals; their habit of rooting in the mud often makes the water unfit for the feeding and spawning of other fish. However, they are valued commercially as food fish, especially in Europe, where they are sometimes bred and raised for this purpose. Ornamental varieties are bred in Japan.

See also Asian carp Asian carp, term for several large, hardy freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae (the minnow family) that are native to E Asia and have become invasive species in the United States. The fish, which can grow to more than 4 ft (1. ..... Click the link for more information. . The common carp are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata , phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals. ..... Click the link for more information. , class Actinopterygii, order Cypriniformes, family Cyprinidae. Carp (Rutilus frisii), a fish of the carp family. Body length, 75 cm; weight, 6 kg. Distributed in the basins of the Black and Azov seas, they enter the mouths of rivers and travel far upstream. They spawn in the second half of May on rocky stretches of rivers with swift, clean water and a rocky bottom.

They feed mostly on bottom mollusks, whose shells they crush with powerful gullet teeth. A special subspecies, the kutum, a valuable commercial fish, lives in the basins of the Caspian Sea. Their numbers are not great and continue to grow smaller because of unfavorable conditions for reproduction. Carp (Cyprinus carpio), a fish of the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. The carp reaches a length of 1 m and a weight of 12 kg. The fish inhabits Lake Issyk-Kul’ and the basins of the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian, and Aral seas. It also dwells in rivers of East Asia and of the western basin of the Pacific Ocean. Carps are raised artificially in Poland, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain. In the USSR the fish has been acclimatized in the Barabinskie lakes, Lake Balkhash, and Lake Alakol’. There are resident and migratory forms. The former live permanently in a single body of water, and the latter live in freshened areas of seas or lakes and migrate from spawning estuarine areas into rivers.

Carps attain sexual maturity in the second to fifth year of life. They produce about 1.5 million roe. Spawning is intermittent, from April through July, occurring among soft vegetation in fresh or brackish coastal waters having a temperature of 12°–20°C. The roe are sticky. Carps feed on invertebrates and plants. They are commercially valuable. A cultivated form has been obtained by selection. Z. V. K [kärp] (vertebrate zoology) The common name for a number of fresh-water, cypriniform fishes in the family Cyprinidae, characterized by soft fins, pharyngeal teeth, and a suckerlike mouth. carp See: Bravery carp 1. a freshwater teleost food fish, Cyprinus carpio, having a body covered with cycloid scales, a naked head, one long dorsal fin, and two barbels on each side of the mouth: family Cyprinidae 2.

any other fish of the family Cyprinidae; a cyprinid CARP (Cache Array Routing Protocol) A protocol from Microsoft that is used by one proxy server to query another for a cached Web page without having to go to the Internet to retrieve it. CARP allows arrays of cache servers to be used and managed as a single entity, which avoids redundancy and supports failover and load balancing. See ICP and proxy server . General information about carp General information about carp Note: more information is available in the NSW Carp Control Plan 2010 . Other common names: Oriental carp, European carp, common carp, koi. Introduction 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. Description & biology Description: Carp, along with goldfish (Carassius auratus), roach (Rutilus rutilus) and tench (Tinca tinca), 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 colour of carp varies. In the wild they are usually olive green to bronze or silvery in colour 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 1.2 metres in length weighing 60 kg. Fish of up to 10 kg have been caught in Australia, but weights of around 4-5 kg are more common. Habitat: 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. Reproduction: Under suitable conditions, carp are highly prolific.

They mature early – as early as 1 year for males and 2 years for females – and the females produce large numbers of sticky eggs (up to 1.5 million for a 6kg fish). Carp migrate to and from breeding grounds during the breeding season, sometimes travelling hundreds of kilometres. Most eggs and larvae die before they reach adulthood, although more may survive if environmental conditions are suitable. Floods seem to provide especially favourable conditions for carp breeding as well as abundant food for juveniles. This may help explain why carp experienced such a population explosion during the large floods of the 1970s. Feeding: 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. Where are carp in NSW? The distribution of carp in NSW now includes most of the Murray-Darling Basin as well as many coastal river systems, particularly in the central section of NSW from the Hunter in the north to the Shoalhaven (including the Southern Highlands and Tablelands) in the south. Carp are now the most abundant fish species in many NSW rivers, accounting for 90% of the fish biomass (total weight of fish caught) in some areas of the Murray-Darling Basin. Distribution of carp in NSW by catchment How did carp get here? Carp have been introduced into Australia both deliberately, in an attempt to imitate the European environment, and accidentally, through the escape of ornamental or aquaculture fish. In Victoria, the stocking of carp began as early as 1859, but early stocking attempts were not successful. In NSW, the earliest known introductions occurred near Sydney in 1865.

In the early 1900s, fingerlings were used to establish several wild populations of carp around Sydney, including in Prospect Reservoir (where they still persist). The timing and mode of carp introductions into the Murray-Darling river system is unclear, though there are early records of some carp being translocated from Sydney, and a distinctive orange-coloured ‘Yanco’ strain became established in the Murrumbidgee in the early part of the 20th century. Whatever the source(s), carp have been established in the Basin since at least the 1920s, although for some time they remained fairly uncommon. In the early 1960s a new strain was imported for aquaculture and reared at a fish farm in Boolarra. These carp were stocked into farm dams near Mildura and soon spread up the Murray and Darling Rivers, assisted by widespread flooding in the mid 1970s. Since then, carp have since gone on to radiate very successfully throughout the Murray-Darling system, including in Queensland and South Australia as well as NSW and Victoria. They have also been found in Lakes Crescent and Sorrell in Tasmania.

Many NSW coastal catchments now also contain carp, often koi which have escaped from backyard ponds or been deliberately released. The spread of carp may also have been assisted by anglers illegally using them for live bait or illegally stocking them to create new carp fisheries. The fact that a distinct strain, unrelated to nearby populations, has been found in two dams in the Murray-Darling Basin (Wyangala and Burrinjuck Dams) suggests human introduction from a separate source. What are the impacts of carp? Because of their adaptability, carp have been very successful in their colonisation of new environments. Carp are widely believed to have detrimental effects on native aquatic plants, animals and general river health, particularly through their destructive feeding habits. Carp are often found in degraded areas, although it is not clear whether they cause the degradation or are simply able to survive in degraded areas where native fish cannot, or where natives have otherwise been eliminated. While in some cases carp have probably been blamed for degradation that is actually the result of human activities, it is clear that carp can have major impacts. Some of the probable impacts of carp are outlined below.

Reduced water quality: Carp contribute to poor water quality by uprooting vegetation and stirring up sediments during feeding, leading to increased turbidity. This in turn reduces light penetration, which can make it difficult for native fish that rely on sight to feed. Reduced light can also decrease plant growth, and suspended sediments can smother plants and clog fishes' gills. The effects of carp on water quality are well documented; however, poor catchment management practices probably have a more substantial effect. Algal blooms: There have been suggestions that carp may increase the likelihood of algal blooms by preying on animals that eat algae, stirring up nutrients trapped in bottom sediments, damaging aquatic plants, and reducing plant growth via greater turbidity. However, carp densities may have to be very high to significantly increase the likelihood of an algal bloom. Erosion: Carp feeding habits can undermine river banks leading to the collapse of banks and vegetation. However, clearing of riparian vegetation, changes to river flows through river regulation, and trampling by livestock are more important factors in bank erosion. Restoration of riparian vegetation can minimise the risk of damage by carp.

Impacts on invertebrates: Juvenile carp feed mainly on zooplankton, but start consuming larger (macro-) invertebrates once they reach around 15 cm in length. There is strong evidence that carp impact on native invertebrates in still waters, but only anecdotal evidence for their impacts in running waters. Impacts on aquatic plants: Carp have significant effects on native aquatic plants both through direct grazing and through uprooting plants while feeding, leading to a reduction in plant density and biomass. Soft-leaved, shallow-rooted and submerged plants are most likely to be affected. Disease: In other parts of the world, carp have been associated with the distribution of a range of parasites and fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. However, there have been few disease outbreaks attributed to carp in Australia. Reduction in native fish numbers: The effects of carp on native fish are not well understood. Negative impacts of carp are thought to include competition for food and habitats and effects on recruitment (population replenishment). However, many native species (such as golden perch, Murray cod, silver perch and freshwater catfish) had experienced well-documented declines even before carp became widespread. The feeding methods of carp can uproot aquatic vegetation and muddy the water.

Carp have been blamed for damaging freshwater habitats and causing decreases in light penetration, dissolved oxygen and plant material. These changes may have affected native fish. Further reading Gilligan D, Gehrke P, Schiller C (2005). Testing Methods and Ecological Consequences of Large Scale Removal of Common Carp. Fisheries Final Report Series No. 77, NSW Department of Primary Industries, 46 pp. Graham KJ, Lowry MB, Walford TR (2005). Carp in NSW: Assessment of Distribution, Fishery and Fishing Methods. Fisheries Final Report Series No. 72, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Cronulla. Nonnative Fish - Grass Carp Grass Carp Grass Carp: Ctenopharyngodon Appearance: The grass carp is actually one of the largest members of the minnow family. The back of the grass carp is silvery to dark grey, and the sides of the body are lighter with a slightly golden sheen. The belly is silvery white. Fins are generally greenish-grey. The fish has relatively large scales. The body shape is oblong with a round belly and broad head.

Teeth have been replaced by specialized structures called pharyngeal teeth (see photo) located in the back of the throat. These are used for tearing and grinding plant matter. By contrast, common carp have a laterally compressed, robust body (deep bodied from the back of the fish to the belly) and are easily distinguished by the presence of barbels (whiskers) located at the corners of the mouth. Suckers have smaller scales than grass carp or common carp and unlike the carp have large lipped, sucker-like mouths located well below the head. Range: The grass carp is native to large coastal rivers in Siberia (Amur River) and China that flow into the Pacific Ocean. They are extensively cultured for food in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Habitat: Only occurs where stocked within Florida. In its native range it occurs in lakes, ponds, pools and backwaters of large rivers but prefers large, slow-flowing or standing water bodies with vegetation.

They are tolerant of temperatures from freezing to over 100 ÂºF; salinities as high as 10 ppt (brackish), and oxygen levels down to 0.5 ppm. Behavior: Spawning Habitats: Broadcast spawners the females lay copious amounts of eggs in free-flowing rivers that are then fertilized by the male. The eggs must remain suspended in the flow until they hatch or they will perish. Ideally, at the time the eggs hatch they will be in a well vegetated area with abundant zooplankton. Feeding Habits: As the name implies grass carp consume higher aquatic plants and submerged grasses (rooted macrophytes as opposed to algaes); they will also eat detritus, insects and other invertebrates when necessary. Because of their feeding behavior, they are used in this country under special restricted circumstances (see our permit page for details) to help manage aquatic plant problems. Many aquatic plants that pose problems in Florida are exotic and have few natural insect or disease controls, consequently they frequently create problems with access, navigation, flood control, irrigation and aesthetics.

Since chemical herbicides and mechanical removal are costly alternatives that often create secondary problems, biocontrol agents, such as triploid grass carp can provide a beneficial tool. Triploid grass carp have three sets of chromosomes, instead of the normal two, which renders them functionally sterile. Triploids are produced artificially, by using hormones, stripping the eggs and mixing them with milt, then subjecting the fertilized egg to hydrostatic pressure, and finally suspending the fertilized eggs in well-aerated containers until they hatch. The resultant fish must be individually tested using a Coulter Counter, in a certification process developed by FWC biologists prior to being permitted for use. The FWC helps protect aquatic habitats by restricting the use of grass carp via permits to only these sterile fish and limiting the number allowed. Age and Growth: The largest triploid grass carp taken in Florida was 15 years old, 56" long and weighed 75 lbs. In China, grass carp are reputed to live up to 21 years and reach sizes of 5 feet and 100 pounds.

Sporting Quality: Sometimes taken by anglers, especially those fishing for catfish or tilapia, but they must be released immediately and unharmed since those found in Florida were stocked deliberately for aquatic plant control purposes. Bow-anglers are especially adept at taking grass carp and are sometimes given permits to remove excess grass carp. Edibility: In some countries, the grass carp is an integral part of fish culture, and fish flesh forms an important source of protein for human consumption. The fish have flaky white meat that is not too strongly flavored but tend to be very bony. Additional Information Grass carp are a conditional species in Florida (68-5.002, Florida Administrative Code). Image Credit: FWC Facts: Sandhill cranes stand almost 4 feet tall, and their call has a distinctive bugling or rattling sound.

Carps | Article about carps by The Free Dictionary Carps | Article about carps by The Free Dictionary carp, hardy freshwater fish, Cyprinus carpio, the largest member of the minnow minnow, common name for the Cyprinidae, a large family of freshwater fish which includes the carp (Cyprinus carpio), and of which there are some 2,400 species. Minnows have soft-rayed fins and teeth in the throat only. ..... Click the link for more information. family; it is also known as the common carp. A native of Black, Caspian, and Aral sea basins of Eurasia, the carp has been introduced widely elsewhere in the world and has become so well established that it is called the English sparrow of the fishes. Many variations in color and form have developed. Carp have four barbels ("whiskers") around the mouth and are usually dark greenish or brown (occasionally yellowish or silvery), with red on some of the fins. Most carp are scaled, although the mirror carp variant has only a few scattered scales and the leather carp has none.

Carp may reach a length of 3 ft (91 cm) and a weight of 25 lbs (11.3 kg). They are bottom feeders, eating chiefly aquatic plants but also insects and small animals; their habit of rooting in the mud often makes the water unfit for the feeding and spawning of other fish. However, they are valued commercially as food fish, especially in Europe, where they are sometimes bred and raised for this purpose. Ornamental varieties are bred in Japan. See also Asian carp Asian carp, term for several large, hardy freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae (the minnow family) that are native to E Asia and have become invasive species in the United States. The fish, which can grow to more than 4 ft (1. ..... Click the link for more information. . The common carp are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata , phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals. ..... Click the link for more information.

, class Actinopterygii, order Cypriniformes, family Cyprinidae. Carp (Rutilus frisii), a fish of the carp family. Body length, 75 cm; weight, 6 kg. Distributed in the basins of the Black and Azov seas, they enter the mouths of rivers and travel far upstream. They spawn in the second half of May on rocky stretches of rivers with swift, clean water and a rocky bottom. They feed mostly on bottom mollusks, whose shells they crush with powerful gullet teeth. A special subspecies, the kutum, a valuable commercial fish, lives in the basins of the Caspian Sea. Their numbers are not great and continue to grow smaller because of unfavorable conditions for reproduction. Carp (Cyprinus carpio), a fish of the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. The carp reaches a length of 1 m and a weight of 12 kg. The fish inhabits Lake Issyk-Kul’ and the basins of the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian, and Aral seas.

It also dwells in rivers of East Asia and of the western basin of the Pacific Ocean. Carps are raised artificially in Poland, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain. In the USSR the fish has been acclimatized in the Barabinskie lakes, Lake Balkhash, and Lake Alakol’. There are resident and migratory forms. The former live permanently in a single body of water, and the latter live in freshened areas of seas or lakes and migrate from spawning estuarine areas into rivers. Carps attain sexual maturity in the second to fifth year of life. They produce about 1.5 million roe. Spawning is intermittent, from April through July, occurring among soft vegetation in fresh or brackish coastal waters having a temperature of 12°–20°C. The roe are sticky. Carps feed on invertebrates and plants. They are commercially valuable. A cultivated form has been obtained by selection. Z. V. K [kärp] (vertebrate zoology) The common name for a number of fresh-water, cypriniform fishes in the family Cyprinidae, characterized by soft fins, pharyngeal teeth, and a suckerlike mouth.

carp See: Bravery carp 1. a freshwater teleost food fish, Cyprinus carpio, having a body covered with cycloid scales, a naked head, one long dorsal fin, and two barbels on each side of the mouth: family Cyprinidae 2. any other fish of the family Cyprinidae; a cyprinid CARP (Cache Array Routing Protocol) A protocol from Microsoft that is used by one proxy server to query another for a cached Web page without having to go to the Internet to retrieve it. CARP allows arrays of cache servers to be used and managed as a single entity, which avoids redundancy and supports failover and load balancing. See ICP and proxy server .

Question: What name is given to the long "whiskers" found on some fish of the carp family?
Answer: BARBELS