BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 203 



65.-CARP IIV FKAIVCE.* 



The carp is generally well known. It has a strongly-curving back 

 of an olive or blnisli color, yellowish below, and with a whitish belly. 

 The spines forniing the first ray of the dorsal and the anal fins are strong 

 and toothed. It has pharyngeal teeth, flat and grooved at the crown. 

 There is a lateral line of 48 black points; the dorsal fin has 21, 22, or 

 24 rays; anal, 8 or 9; each ventral, 9; and there are 3 toothed rays to 

 the dorsal and the anal fins. The caudal and the ventral fins are of a 

 violet color; the anal fin is of a reddish-brown; and the gill-covers are 

 glossy and without notches. There are 4 barbels, 2 of which are at the 

 angle's of the jaw. Its scales are large and hard. The bony parts of 

 the anatomy of this fish are very numerous, and 4,386 pieces have 

 been counted. The head is strong, large, and blunt, and the eyes are 

 small. 



The carp comes from the central and southern parts of Europe, and 

 has been acclimatized almost everywhere. [It seems to have come 

 originally from Central Asia, whence it was introduced into Europe as a 

 food-fish.] It thrives in the quiet waters of France, where it sometimes 

 attains the length of nearly 4 feet. It grows readily in ponds, and is of 

 a good flavor. Clear and gently-flowing waters are suitable for it ; and 

 at the same time it finds in these waters some qualities which escape 

 our notice, since it remains in certain portions of a stream or river and 

 is found only in these portions. The sensibility of the carp on this 

 l)oint is so great that those which have been raised and set free in other 

 parts of these streams go to rejoin the other carp in these places and do 

 not restock the whole length of the watercourse. Carp multiply rapidly 

 in ponds ; the muddy water, however, of these bodies of water is apt to 

 give a muddy taste to their flesh. It is easy to rid the fish of this muddy 

 flavor elsewhere by jiutting them for at least eight days into clear run- 

 ning water. 



When the carp is about to spawn, it leaves the large watercourses to 

 seek more quiet places, and is not stopped on its way by waterfalls of 

 C feet in height, which it ascends with as much dexterity and persever- 

 ance as trout. In spawning it rubs against weeds in order to aid in the 

 ejection of its eggs ; and often it is almost entirely out of the water, es- 

 pecially during a pleasant spring and under the rays of a warming sun. 

 At spawning time the flesh is soft and flabby. 



The young carp are much exposed to the teeth of their enemies, and 

 an immense number become the food of fish, birds, and animals ; but 

 after they are three years old they have little to fear from pikes and 

 others. Carp have a very long life. Those that we call salmon carp have 



*Fiom the MonUear de la FiscicuUure, »Ssc., Paris, November '28, 1885. Tianslati'd 

 liy II. P. Jkrukll. 



