Carp

(Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus)

Size, Shape, and Color

Carp, a member of the minnow family, is a slow-moving, lazy scavenger averaging 15 to 18 inches in length and about ten pounds in weight, although it often reaches a weight of over 20 pounds and a length of more than two feet in some waters (the largest may be up to 65 pounds). Its most distinctive features include two pairs of barbels around a sucker-like mouth and large plate-like scales that afford adequate protection against lampreys and other external parasites.

General coloration, depending on habitat, runs from olive to muddy green on their upper back to a yellowish, creamy white belly. A reddish hue is common on the anal fin and the lower half of the caudal (tail) fin.

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