How long is the lifespan of a carp? How many years can it generally live
Carp, commonly known as li guaizi, li zi and so on, is an auspicious fish that people in northern regions love to eat. It is distributed throughout the country, and its tolerance to salinity and alkalinity is better than that of the four major Chinese carps. It is a representative species of the Cyprinidae family. It usually inhabits the bottom layer of rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds where aquatic plants grow densely, and mainly feeds on benthic animals. Now let us take a look at how long the lifespan of a carp is!
How long is the lifespan of a carp
The lifespan of a carp is especially long, and it can live for more than 100 years. There is a simple way to calculate the age of a carp. Each of its scales is like the cross-section of a tree trunk, with many rings from the center outward, alternating between sparse and dense. The sparse rings form in summer, and the dense rings form in winter. So as long as you count them, you will know how many years it has lived through. Moreover, it has two pairs of barbels on its mouth that most fish do not have. Some carp turn golden yellow as they grow up. Perhaps because of this, some people regard carp as a sacred creature.
What food do carp eat
Carp belongs to the benthic omnivorous fish category, eating both meat and plants, with a broad diet. Its snout bones are well developed, and it often roots in the mud to feed. Under natural conditions, its food leans toward animal matter, such as chironomid larvae, river snails, river clams, freshwater mussels and other benthic animals, as well as aquatic insects and shrimps. Among plant foods it likes to eat are the seeds and young buds of higher aquatic plants and fallen plant debris.
Common types of carp
1. Yellow River carp: The body of the Yellow River carp is spindle-shaped, lean and long, with a golden body color and an orange-red tail. Its color is bright, and its meat is tender and refreshing. Its growth rate is relatively slow. It is one of the four major famous freshwater fish in our country, but nowadays it is already difficult to identify the original species or wild species of Yellow River carp.
2. Jian carp: Jian carp was developed by using the progeny of a cross between Hebao red carp and Yuanjiang carp as the basic breeding population, and after 6 generations of directional selection. Its genetic traits are stable, its feeding habits are broad, its stress resistance is strong, and it grows fast. It is a major aquaculture target promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, and it can be farmed nationwide. Its body is slender, its tail and fins are orange-red, and its body color is golden and bright. It can be trained to develop good feeding habits of fixed timing, fixed location and fixed quantity. It is easy to catch, and when raised as the main species in ponds it gives high yield and good benefits.
3. Xingguo red carp: Xingguo red carp originated in Jiangxi Province and was developed through more than ten years of artificial directional selection. Its genetic traits are stable, its adaptability is broad, its stress resistance is strong, and its survival rate is high. It has both the economic value of being raised as a food fish (the red rate can reach 86.6%) and the value of utilizing hybrid vigor. It can be farmed throughout the country.
4. Feng carp: Feng carp is a hybrid variety of scattered-scale mirror carp (male parent) and Xingguo red carp (female parent). Its body shape is shorter and stouter than that of Yellow River carp, with a high back. It is fully scaled, and its body color is bluish gray. Its growth rate and disease resistance are both superior to those of its parents. Fry and fingerlings depend on artificial breeding. Feng carp is suitable for farming in northern regions.