Habitat

Introduced from Europe into California waters in the late 1800s, carp quickly spread throughout the States and into eastern Canada. They were first reported in western Canada in 1938, and today their range extends east to west through all of southern Canada and south into virtually every state, as well as Mexico.

As with other coarse fish, carp are extremely tolerant of turbid and polluted waters. They prefer relatively warm, shallow waters with abundant vegetation with deeper pockets for retreat. They are extremely adaptable and thrive in shallow mud-bottom lakes and large streams as well as in brackish ponds. The reason for their survival ability is twofold: first, they need only to keep their gills moist; second, they are able to swallow air to extract some oxygen.

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