Fig. lA. Two-summer Qaliclan Mirror Carp (Line carp), from a distinguished 

 North Gennan stock-producing fishery. Length 25 cm. body ratio H:L ■ It 2.3. 



In the light of present-day knowledge. Central Europe cannot be regarded any longer 

 as the homeland of the carp. Even the presence of carp in Germany, in pre-hlstoric days 

 is disputed today. The carp is a native of the mouths of rivers, which shed their waters 

 into the Caspian and the Black Seas. This fact still reveals itself today in the hatch- 

 ing habits and habits of hibernation of the carp. In natural waters, carps will spawn 

 rarely (in the l^ggel lake, for instance, in 1930, after long years of nonspawning, and 

 then only in the warm days of any early summer). 



The first carp breeders in Germany — during the Uiddle Ages — were monks. Then as 

 now, the ultimate goal was to raise carp for the table and silso to raise sufficient brood 

 for their own and foreign ponds. At present, carp are even planted in lakes, expecially 

 adaptable for this purpose. Main considerations, of course, are the market demands. 



Nowadays, these demands are: 



(1) Carp of from about 750 grams to 2,000 grams in weight (mainly of a 

 weight of from 1,000 to 1,500 grams, although in Java, according to 

 Buschkiel, carps of only 75 grams are mostly in demand. 



(2) A firm flesh, not too much fat, small head and relatively few bones 

 in comparison with the fleshj none or very few scales, as the skin 

 will then be more palatable and preparation becomes more sin^Jlified. 



The scale carp (Schuppenkarpfen), which is the original, normal species is little 

 in demand upon the Gennan market. It was thought, until recently that this species 

 suffers less from parasites (on account of the hardness of scales), but Plehn found 

 little evidence for this belief and Sklower none at all. 



The mirror-carp ( Cyprinus rex cyprinorum ) has much less scales (the greater portion 

 is involuted), its scales are someTrtiat longer and rather loosely attached to the skin. 

 A more or less complete "mirror line" of scales covers the sides. If this line is not 

 interrupted in places, the carp is spoken of as a "Zeilkarpfen" (line carp?). 



72 



