MISCELLANEOUS PRE.SH-WATBR FISH 75 



witli an olive shade, the belly being white, orange, or 

 yellow. Like the sucker family, they have no teeth 

 in the jaw, showing that they do not prey upon other 

 fish. Their food consists of vegetation, offal, seeds, 

 worms, swill — in fact, almost anything, with a strong 

 desire for the eggs of other fish. 



It is a grave mistake to place carp in confined 

 ponds with fish of any value whatever. AVhile they 

 do not attack the fish themselves, as just stated, they 

 do devour their eggs to such an extent that they ^\'ill 

 eventually destroy them entirely. In this regard 

 they show their similarity to all other bottom fish — 

 they are egg or spawn destroyers. While naturally a 

 pond or dead-water fish, carp are often taken in rivers 

 and lakes, but simply because they can find there the 

 quiet bays and muddy bottom they require. There 

 is no question but that the carp can live in waters 

 where no other food fish are able to exist. They 

 thrive splendidly in muddy ponds and slough holes, 

 and will live in small holes filled with water when 

 left there after the overflow of a stream. They are 

 also distinctly a hibernating fish, large numbers of 

 them banding together and filling holes they excavate 

 in the nmd, where they will lie semi-dormant without 

 eating from October to March. 



The carps grow very fast, attaining a weight of 

 from 3 to 4 pounds in three years. They have grown 



