The king of swamps, ponds and overgrown lakes is commonly called crucian. This is a very common fish in our country. Scientists have described so far only two main types of crucians - gold (red) and silver (white), as well as one artificially bred - goldfish. From this article you will find out what crucian eats, what it looks like and where it lives.
Appearance
Carp belong to the family of carp fish. They have a long, pronounced dorsal fin, a tall body with a rather thick back. The scales of these fish are large, but smooth to the touch. Its color depends entirely on the habitat of the fish and is either silver or golden.
Types of carp
Depending on the color of the body and the size of the fish itself, crucians are divided into the following types:
- silver;
- gold;
- goldfish.
It is worth noting that the last species is not exactly crucian. Goldfish is a peculiar form of golden carp, whichartificially bred in China. Currently, several breeds of goldfish have already been bred:
- comet;
- Shubunkin;
- telescope;
- lionhead, etc.
Note that only the common goldfish retained the greatest resemblance to crucian carp. She even eats the same thing that crucian eats. Outwardly, both golden and silver carp are very similar. In some water bodies both species can live. Scientists have found that in this case, silver carp is gradually replacing gold.
Where does crucian live?
What crucian eats - we will find out later, but now let's look at his lifestyle, in particular, find out where he lives. Of all the fish inhabiting the territory of Russia, this is the most undemanding and the most unpretentious. That is why carp can be found even in places with stagnant waters.
These creatures inhabit not only all Russian lakes and ponds in large numbers, but also feel great in semi-underground waters, almost completely covered with bogs, as well as in small pits where no other fish lives except for them.
Ichthyologists are amazed at the endurance of carp. They are interested in knowing not so much what fish that live in such dirty waters eat, but how their body adapts to such harsh conditions. It can be absolutely confidently asserted: the worse the properties of a particular reservoir, the more silt in a particular pond or lake, the more comfortable the crucians are. They swim faster and breed faster.
What does crucian carp eat?
These are omnivorous fish. Sometimes they even eat what we call organic waste. When crucian fry are born, the first week they live off the contents of their gall sac. A week later, they begin to eat the simplest microorganisms that inhabit ponds and lakes in large quantities.
The fry's favorite foods at this stage of life are daphnia, bacteria and algae. And only when they reach the age of one month, their diet becomes the most serious and, of course, satisfying. Single-celled organisms are replaced by small bloodworms, as well as larvae of various aquatic insects.
What does crucian carp eat in the pond when it reaches puberty? Adults at the age of one year with great pleasure eat annelids, larvae, crustaceans, molluscs. In deep ponds, these funny fish feed exclusively on bottom organisms.
Ichthyologists have found that it is deep waters, rich in bottom food, that allow these fish to grow faster and reach large sizes. And in shallow ponds overgrown with reeds and bogs, crucian carp cannot grow properly, because their food there is only plankton and protozoa.
Algae is food too
It is curious that crucian carp can eat not only animal, but also plant foods. Moreover, they eat grass growing in water and mud! After all, there is always a lot of such food, and he will not run away from you anywhere. By the way, crucian carp are real drug addicts! They are not indifferent to the smells of valerian, dill,garlic, corvalol, sunflower oil, kerosene, gasoline and even dog excrement.
Amazing feature of these fish
As we have already noticed, food for crucians in ponds and lakes depends on their depth: the deeper the reservoir, the more satisfying the food, which means the larger the fish. But scientists who studied these creatures in the laboratory for a long time could not understand how crucian carp manage to notice live food that falls to the bottom beyond their "viewing sector".
It turned out that a special side line helps them with this. It is present in almost every fish on earth. Outwardly, this side line looks like a stitch that runs from the head to the tail of the fish. It is thanks to this feature that the brain of crucian carp is able to register the slightest vibrations emanating from small edible animals in a matter of fractions of a second. So eat fish hearty and thoroughly.
Behavior of carp while fishing
Crucian is a popular commercial fish. Perhaps it is the most unpredictable of the entire carp family. Not a single fisherman has yet predicted exactly how crucian carp will behave in this or that weather. Its fishing is absolutely independent of the weather, or the time of day, or the bait. So have a good bite!
