106 



FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



greatly enlarged scales of irregular shape and arrangement, a pait of the body 

 being bare; and (3) the leather carp, so-called from its thick, smooth, velvety 

 skin, which is either entirely destitute of scales or has only a few along the back 

 or belly. 



Scale Carp; Asiatic Carp. Cyprinus carpio. 



The carp attains a relatively large size — examples weighing upwards of 60 

 pounds being known in Europe and of fully 40 pounds in the United States, 

 although full sexual maturity is attained by the second or third year when the 

 fish weigh only 3 or 4 pounds. 



Spawning occurs from April to June, according to latitude, the very small 

 eggs being adhesive and becoming attached to any submerged objects, such as 

 stones, sticks, and aquatic plants generally. Prior to and during the egg-laying 

 each female may be attended by from 2 to 6 males. The carp is extraordinarily 

 prolific, the number of eggs laid ranging from several hundred thousand in a fish 



Fig. 32. Leather Carp. Cyprinus carpio. 



of 4 or 5 pounds to upwards of 2 million in one weighing 15 or 20 pounds. The 

 eggs hatch in 2 to 20 days, depending on the temperature of the water. By 

 winter the young may exceed 7 inches in length and probably average 4 or 5 

 inches if food is sufficiently abundant. 



