User:Jaspergeli/Prussian carp

The Prussian carp or Gibel carp (Carassius gibelio), is a freshwater fish species, member of the family Cyprinidae. It is a medium-sized cyprinid and does not exceed a weight of 2.5 kg and a size of 50 cm. They are usually silver, although other color variations exist. They are omnivorous and feed on plankton, invertebrates, plant material and detritus. Originally from Asia (Siberia), they have been introduced to and are now inhabiting lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. They are the wild ancestors of the domesticated goldfishes.

Though they are the wild ancestors of the domesticated goldfishes, both captive-bred and wild Prussian carps have a wide variation of body size and shape and color.

Distribution
It is native to Europe and Asia. They are usually considered as native from central Europe to Siberia or introduced to European waters from eastern Asia. Original distribution is not clear and definite and not available in Europe as the introduction of the other species, Carassius auratus leads to confusion and complex modes of reproduction. They are widely distributed and commonly stocked together with Cyprinus carpio which is transported throughout Europe. They are absent in northern Baltic basin, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland and Mediterranean islands. They inhabit rivers, lakes, ponds, and ditches with stagnant or slow-flowing water.

Habitat
Prussian carps can thrive both fresh and brackish water. They inhabit a wide variety of still water bodies and lowland rivers, lakes, ponds, canals, ditches, usually eutrophic and associated with submerged vegetation. They can strongly tolerate low oxygen concentrations and pollution. Lake-dwelling individuals move into river mouths to avoid low oxygen water in winter. It is an adaptable species, capable of thriving in temperatures between 0 °C to 40 °C, but such extreme temperatures are very rare for a it to tolerate, they normally thrive in temperatures between 10 °C to 25 °C. They live better in cold water and last long in captivity. Maximum recorded salinity is 16 ppt, but unable to withstand prolonged exposure above it. It is used as an experimental species. They are valued as ornamental fishes for ponds and aquaria; edible but rarely eaten.

Description
The Prussian carp is a deep-bodied, robust fish which grows to about 10 to 32 cm in length. It has a maximum recorded size of approx 250 grams and 50 cm length. Its scales are larger than those of the Crucian carp, and it typically has 27 to 32 scales along the lateral line, whereas the Crucian carp usually has between 31 and 35. The species is silvery, sometimes with a faint golden tinge, while the Crucian carp has a burnished gold appearance. The Prussian carp's tail is more deeply forked than that of the Crucian carp. Diagnosed from its congeners in Europe by having body silvery-brown in color, last simple anal and dorsal rays strongly serrated, 37-52 gill rakers, lateral line with 29-33 scales, freed edge of dorsal concave or straight, anal fin with 5½ branched rays, and peritoneum black. They lack barbels. It is highly variable in body size and shape and color. Wild-caught specimens have olive brown, slate olive, olive green, with a bronze sheen, silvery, grayish yellowish, gray-silver, through gold (often with black blotches) to creamy white, yellowish white or white below. Cultured or cultivated forms vary through scarlet, red-pink, silver, brown, white, black and combinations of these colors.

Reproduction
Cold water temperatures during the winter months are necessary for proper ova development. Spawning takes place in shallow water among weeds, often where willow roots grow exposed in water, also meadows inundated by the spring flood. They spawn in shallow, warm shores on submerged vegetation. Spawning activity begins just before dawn, to midafternoon. Individual fish spawn 2-10 lots of eggs at intervals of 8-10 days. Juveniles need high temperature to grow. They lay eggs on submerged vegetation. Eggs are sticky, attached to water plants or submerged objects. Females spawn multiple times during the spawning period. Females spawn multiple times during the spawning period. Oviparous, with pelagic larvae. Females spawn with several other species, for example, Cyprinus carpio and Carassius carassius, but the eggs just develop without being actually fertilized resulting in a female only population. In Europe, populations considered as triploid and only females. But in some populations, it should be possible to find up to 25% of males which should be diploid. "There are also all-female populations in which all individuals are triploids. Triploids are sperm parasites of other cyprinid species such as Cyprinus carpio, Rutilus rutilus, and Abramis brama. Older individuals spawn earlier in the season than younger ones. Males move to spawning sites before females. Males follow ripe females, often with much splashing. Sticky eggs are attached to water plants or submerged objects". Able to reproduce from unfertilized eggs (gynogenesis).

Diet
[They aren't fussy eaters.] They are omnivorous and feed mainly on plankton, benthic invertebrates, plant material, and detritus. Feeding larvae and juveniles occur in high-complexity habitats as reed belts.

Body configurations

 * Common or Long-bodied
 * Oblong
 * Short-bodied
 * Round

Scale configurations

 * Metallic - Guanines are present in all scales, thus, the fish is reflective.
 * Nacreous - It is the mix of metallic and matte scale types with patches of guanines.
 * Matte - Guanines are not present in all scales, thus this fish is dull.

Head configurations

 * Head growth
 * Cranial/hood/cap head growth
 * Bubble head growth
 * Cranial/hood/cap bubble head growth
 * Double bubble head growth
 * Cranial/hood/cap double bubble head growth

Tail peduncles

 * Common
 * Angled

Tail types

 * Single caudal fin - As well as its anal fin, but sometimes a Prussian carp has double anal fins.
 * Double caudal fins - As well its anal fins, but sometimes a Prussian carp has a single anal fin.
 * Undivided double caudal fins - The fins are joined at the top edge. Its anal fins may also be undivided.

Tail shapes

 * Common - This is the medium-sized tail and occurs in most Prussian carps.
 * Short fork - The tail is short and has shorter fork than common tail type.
 * Long fork - The tail is long and has longer fork than common tail type.
 * Wide-tailed - The tail is wider than common tail type.
 * Narrow-tailed - The tail is narrower than common tail type.
 * Large-tailed - The tail is larger than common tail type.
 * Small-tailed - The tail is smaller than common tail type.
 * Splayed - The tail splays outwards. This only occurs in split-finned Prussian carps.
 * Curly-tailed - The caudal and anal fins curl downwards at the ends. Sometimes anal fins aren't curly. This only occurs in split-finned Prussian carps.
 * Square-tailed - This tail type lacks a fork or lobes.
 * Opposite-lobed - The tail edge curves outwards rather than inwards.
 * Heart-tailed - The tail is shaped like a heart or the two lobes are rounded.
 * Dorsal fin-less - This fin type lacks a dorsal fin.

Eye Configurations

 * Normal - This is an ordinary eye type.
 * Telescope eyes - The eyes are protruding, thus, zoomed in and limited vision.
 * Celestial eyes - The eyes are upturned, protruding, thus, zoomed in and limited vision.
 * Bubble eyes - The eyes are accompanied by the fluid-filled sacs beneath.

Scale Configurations

 * Normal-scaled - This is an ordinary scale type.
 * Pearlscale - The scales are raised, domed, and whitish, giving a pearl-like appearance.
 * Mirrorscale - The scales are irregular and have a same appearance like a mirror.
 * Hammerscale - The scales have sparkles.

Colors of the Prussian carp
There are three main color pigments of the Prussian carp but some are just a reflection that reflects a color other than these three color pigments.
 * Erythrophores - has a red pigment which resulting in a red Prussian carp.
 * Xanthophores - has a yellow pigment which resulting in a yellow Prussian carp.
 * Melanophores - has a black pigment which resulting in a black Prussian carp.

And this is the color combinations and appearance of the three main color pigments above.
 * Red - in red Prussian carp, many erythrophores are present while xanthophores and melanophores are absent. Brightly colored red Prussian carp are often higher priced than orange ones.
 * Orange - in orange Prussian carp, a balanced number (not exactly the same number but nearly) of erythrophores and xanthophores are present while melanophores are absent. This is the most common color of Prussian carp.
 * Yellow - in yellow Prussian carp, xanthophores are present while erythrophores and melanophores are absent.
 * Black - in black Prussian carp, melanophores are present while erythrophores and xanthophores absent.
 * Gray - in gray Prussian carp, at the top it has many melanophores but as it goes down melanophores are decreases. In the middle of the Prussian carp is gray.
 * White - in white Prussian carp, all pigments are absent.
 * Brown - in brown Prussian carp, all three pigments are present and in balanced, nothing are absent.
 * "Blue" - in "blue" Prussian carp, melanophores are located deep within the skin while erythrophores and xanthophores are absent.