Carps

Carps
Family: Cyprinidae
Oldest history of culture of all finfish and shellfish
The common carp can be considered domesticated food
fish, also used as sport fish
Low-value fish, suited for large scale production to feed
poor communities in rural areas
Fresh water fish, but can tolerate salinities up to 10-11
(sometimes even grow better at salinities of 5)
Carps have good sense of hearing due to Weberian
apparatus.

Ostariophysi

milkfish

Common carp, cyprinus carpio

Ostariophysi
characteristics:
Weberian apparatus
alarm response

Ostariophysi
characteristics:
Weberian apparatus
alarm response

specialized bones connect the swimbladder

with the inner-ear (Weberian ossicles)

skull / inner ear

Weberian aparratus

swimbladder
dorsal (top) view

lateral (side) view

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Ostariophysi
characteristics:
Weberian apparatus
alarm response
What is the advantage of this connection?
better sound detection (sensitivity)
at low frequencies (1-1000Hz)
e.g. sound produced by tail beats of
other fish
neighbours in a school
attacking predators)

Ostariophysi
characteristics:
Weberian aparratus
alarm response
involves
production of an alarm substance (Schreckstoff )
is given off when specialized dermal cells are ruptured (e.g. biting by a predator)
behavioural reaction to the presence of the alarm substance in the water
(Schreckreaktion )

Three groups of cultured carps:

Chinese carps
Common carp
Indian carps

Low input, low cost aquaculture

Low input, low cost aquaculture production of protein food for

domestic consumption and cash income.

World carp production from aquaculture in 1999 was 14.9 million

tonnes, which was 44.7% of the world total aquaculture production
in the same year.

Eight of the top 10 aquaculture finfish in single species production

are carps (the other two are tilapia and Atlantic salmon).

In many industrialized countries, like Australia, carps are regarded

as pests. In many populous counties in Asia they are the strategic
species for securing rural livelihood and national food security
through freshwater aquaculture.

Chinese carps
Have become more important than common carp
Species cultured:

Grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella

Silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
Bighead Aristichthys nobilis
Black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus
Mud carp Cirrhina molitorella

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Ctenopharyngodon idella

Aristichthys nobilis

Hypophthalmichthyes molitrix

Mylopharyngodon piceus
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Niches
mud carp: detritus, role restricted: not large, essentially a
subtropical species, but esteemed by consumers
silver carp: plankton, mainly phytoplankton
bighead: macroplankton
grass carp: herbivorous, macrovegetation (grass, aquatic
plants)
black carp: snails and other molluscs at the bottom,
important role in controlling growth of molluscs
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Spawning
Chinese carp dont spawn naturally in ponds
larvae and fry are collected from natural
spawning grounds
or through induced breeding

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Collecting wild seed

Commercial dealers
Eggs and fry caught in rivers with fine mesh nets
in wooden frames
Eggs hatch in fine netting cages after 2-3 days
Fry sorted into species by experts
Transported for sale

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Induced spawning
Induce spawning by cultured fish through the
injections of certain chemicals
Ripe fish are collected from the farm and are
injected
Crude extract of carp pituitary gland (or those
of other mature fish species close to carp)
Partially purified human chorionic
gonadotropin = hypophysation

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Spawning to fry

Injected fish is placed into spawning ponds or

Netting cages (two males , one female)
Spawning within 12 hours
Eggs collected to hatchery facility
Hatching within 24-30 hours
Larvae use up yolk sac within 3-6 days
Then transfer to nursery pond

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Common carp
Three recognized varieties of
common carp:
Orange colored scale carp
(Cyprinus carpio var. flavipinnis)
Partially scaled mirror carp
(Cyprinus carpio var. specularis)
Scale-less leather carp (Cyprinus
carpio var. nudus)
==> scale and mirror carp: faster
growth rates

Carp with scales

Mirror carp

Carp with single row of scales

Leather carp

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Common carp
Originates in eastern Europe and western Asia and the
watersheds of the Black, Caspian, and Aral seas.
Can function in an environment with high level of
turbidity because of highly developed hearing and
smelling senses.
Many races and strains by breeding programs e.g.
Heyuan carp: grows 30% faster than wild carp, greater
disease resistance.
Cultured in: Asia, Europe, Near and Middle East, parts of
Africa and Latin-America (esp. Brazil)
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Feeding
omnivorous:
young carps (< 10 cm): protozoa, zooplankton
larger: benthic organisms, vegetable matter
sucking food organisms from mud:
=> muddy water, weakens base of pond dikes
=> addition of artificial feedstuffs

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Indian carp
Major cultured species:
catla Catla catla
rohu Labeo rohita
mrigal Cirrhina mrigala
calbasu Labeo calbasu

Labeo rohila

Catla catla

Cirrhina mrigala
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Catla catla
Catla catla

Lives in rivers in Northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh

and Burma
Zooplankton (= water column) feeder
Fastest growing of the Indian carps: ~350 g in 1rst year
First maturity in the 2nd year of life (~2kg)

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Labeo rohita
Labeo rohila
Lives in rivers in north and central India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal and Burma
Bottom and column feeder (plant material)
First maturity at the end of 2nd year (~280-500 g)

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Cirrhinus mrigala
Cirrhina mrigala

Rivers in north India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma

Detritus feeder
Growth rate: ~250 g in the 1rst year (fast growing during
the first four years!)
First maturity at the end of 1rst year

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Spawning

Fry collected from the wild

polyculture
Artificial spawning
in special bundh types of ponds

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Culture techniques
Most common: ponds
Stagnant or semi-stagnant ponds (small ponds, pools
with running water sometimes used in Japan and
Indonesia)
Sizes: large variety, up to several hectares
Breeding at farm: brood ponds
Common carp: brood- and spawning ponds
For rearing fry: nursery ponds
Other systems: experimentally or commercially on small
scale: cage-, rice-field culture, stocking of open water
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Culture
Monoculture
Common carp
Polyculture
Chinese and Indian carps
Trend towards increasing number of species (China,
India)

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What is Polyculture

Polyculture utilizes natural foods efficiently.

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Polyculture - plankton feeders

Silver carp feed primarily on phytoplankton. Bighead carp feed primarily on zooplankton.

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Polyculture - herbivores
Grass carp feed on
aquatic vegetation.

Country/Region
Africa
India

Indochina
Indonesia
SE Asia
world wide

Local Name
tilapia
rohu
Cauvery carp
reba
ca ven
giant gourami
tawes
Zillis tilapia

Scientific Name
Tilapia rendalli
Labeo rohita
Labeo kontius
Cirrhinus reba
Megalobrama bramula
Osphronemus goramy
Puntius gonionotus
Tilapia zillii
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Polyculture- Bottom feeders

Country/Region Local Name
China
mud carp
black carp
cha cham
striped mullet
India
mrigal
Cauvery carp
reba
nagendram fish
SE Asia
belinka
lampai
mata merah
tambra
Taiwan
milkfish
Worldwide
nile tilapia
blue tilapia
black tilapia

Scientific Name
Cirrhinus molitorella
Mylopharyngodon piceus
Mylopharyngodon aethiops
Mugil cephalus
Cirrhinus mrigal
Labeo kontius
Cirrhinus reba
Oteochilus thomassi
Barbus belinka
Common carp are
Barbus lampai
bottom feeders
Barbus orphoides
Labeobarbus tambroides
Chanos chanos
Oreochromis niloticus
Oreochromis aureus
Oreochromis mossambicus
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Piscivorous
fish

Various predator
fishes used in
polyculture.
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Factors affecting species

selection and stocking rates
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Water temperature
Market value of fish
Pond fertilization practises
Feeding habits of fish
Tolerance to pond conditions
Potential of uncontrolled spawning in grow-out
ponds

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Stocking rates
SPECIES

CHINA

INDIA

MALAYSIA

THAI LAN D

PANAMA SIERRA
LEONE

Bighead carp
Silver carp
Grass carp
Common carp
Tawes
Rohu
Mrigal
Catla
Tilapia
Ophicephalus
Cichlasoma
Notopterus

1
12
2
17
-

38
6
19
-

1
1
3
1
-

3
3
3
6
63
6
63
-

10
10
100
20
-

160
16

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Problems to be solved
Too specialised feeding habits
Limited choice of species

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Other Culture Systems

Open water stocking
Chinese-, Indian carps, common carp
Rice field culture
common carp, in some countries replaced by tilapia and
others
Cage culture
experimental
traditional in Indonesia, on small scale in China & Japan

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Breeding
season

36

Natural spawning
Only common carp spawns naturally in ponds
Done in large grassy ponds
Stock 2-3 males per female per 3-4 hectares
Success is weather dependent
Method: Dubisch method
Maintain proper water temperature (18-22C),
Maintain correct DO (dissovled oxygen level)
Pond has a grass-covered center for spawning
Need fish of both sexes
Catching wild Carp when they are ready to spawn
Strip eggs and sperm immediately
Fertilize eggs artificially
Transport eggs to incubation area
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Systems used for breeding

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Semi-artificial propagation
Spawners are injected with a single dose of
gonadotropic hormones or Carp pituitary:
Females: 1rst injection 0.3 mg/kg, 2nd 3.5 mg/kg
Males: 2.0 mg/kg
Stock in newly filled ponds
Spawning takes place within 2 days
Use of hapas: 1 x 1 x 2 m cloth enclosures
Breeding takes placed in hapas
Breeders are then removed
Larvae hatch in hapas
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Artificial Propagation

Requires 2 injections of gonadotropic hormones

Hand-strip eggs and sperm
Perform artificial propagation
Remove stickiness, supervise incubation
Supervise hatching
Transport young fry to rearing ponds
Advantages
Need for males reduced
Better protection of eggs
Better protection of newly hatched larvae
Good control of first feeding
Better preparation of stocking ponds
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Ripe carpGonad
maturation

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Sorting male
and female
carp

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Hatching and larval rearing

Hatchlings: transferred to indoor nursery tanks
==> Desirable to rear the hatchlings undercontrolled
conditions up to fry stage
Stocking rates (20 m2 tank, 0.5 m deep):
1 million fry (water exchange rate 1 l/ min x m2)
Natural food, manufactured starter feeds (first hardboiled eggs, then switch to plankton-rich ponds after 1.5
days.

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Stocking
Multisize stocking
Stocking of fry, fingerlings and young adults of different
sizes for efficient utilization of different food resources.
Multistage stocking
Stocking fish in progressively larger ponds as they grow
in size, reducing the stocking rates as required.
Stocking rates
4000-5000 fingerlings of 2.5-5 cm length/ha
2000-3000 fingerlings of 5-10 cm length/ha
==> With intensive feeding and aeration higher
ratespossible
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Grow-out time
Monoculture
Europe:
market size: 1 - 2 kg weight
required time: 3 years, South Europe: 2 years
Tropical, semi-tropical regions:
market size: 0.6 - 1 kg
required time: < 1 year
Polyculture: 1-2 years

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Growing carp - Indonesia

Ponds or hapas for spawning

Fry reared in ponds and often sold to fingerling growers
Fingerling sometimes sold at 200g
Grown in rice fields or ponds

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Growing carp - China

Often cultured in polyculture
Common carp often minor component
heavily fed, fertilized and stocked ponds

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Growing carp - Japan

irrigation ponds, small fishponds, running-water ponds,
and floating net cages
stocked in spring (April-May) with 40100 g fingerlings at
a rate of about one fish per square metre and fed pellets
or silkworm pupae 45 times daily.
Fish are sold in the autumn (October or November) at
about 800 g average size

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