The crucian carp (Carassius carassius) is a member of the common carp family Cyprinidae.

It is a European species, and its wide range spans from England to Russia; it is found as far north as the Arctic Circle in the Scandinavian countries, and the southern extremities defined by central France and the Black Sea.^[2] Its habitat occurs in lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers. It has been established that the fish is native to England and not introduced.^[3]

The crucian is a medium-sized cyprinid, typically 15 cm in body length,^[4] and rarely exceeds in weight over 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds),^{[citation needed]}. But a maximum total length of 64.0 cm is reported for a male,^[5] and the heaviest published weighed 3 kilograms.^[4]

They are broadly described as having a body of "golden-green shining color",^[6] but a more precise source states that young fish are golden-bronze^[7] but darken with maturity,^[7] until they gain a dark green back, deep bronze upper flanks, and gold on the lower flanks and belly,^[7] and reddish^{[citation needed]}or orange^[8] fins,^[9] although other colour variations exist. One distinguishing characteristic is a convexly rounded fin, as opposed to goldfish (or C. gibelio) hybrids which have concave fins.^[8][10]

The variation in shape of a crucian carp can be very high. When cohabiting waters where predatory such as pike or perch fish are present, there occurs an induced change in the morphology of the population, from a sleeker to a deeper bodied form,^[11] into almost perfect disc shape with well-rounded fins, making it difficult for predators to swallow the crucian carp.^[12]

The crucian carp is also a type species (generic term) for the entire genus, so this has led to the confusion that this is the sames species as those that are native to East Asia.

There are also reported to be interbred hybrids between the crucian and goldfish (domestic or feral),^[8] and a researcher found in laboratory conditions that such cross-breeding are possible, producing viable young.^[8] Although the hybrids his researcher produced were sterile or virtually so, genetic contamination into the native population has been leveled as a cocern,^[8] and even if they don't breed further down the line, the F1 hybrids exhibit hybrid vigour or heterosis, being much more adept at finding food and evading predators than either of their parents, and thus could pose a threat to the native carp population.^[8]

Sports fishing

In Britain, leisurely or competitive catching of this fish by rod and tackle belong in the coarse fishing category. The British rod-caught record for largest crucian is four pounds, nine ounces, (2.085 kg) landed by Martin Bowler in 2003, tied by Joshua Blavins in 2011.^[13] There have been various bids for a breakage of this record since, but they were rejeted as not "true" crucians" but rather, e.g. a "brown goldfish variant"^[10] (i.e., hybrid born between the non-native goldfish or gibelo species and the British crucian). In the Netherlands, a typical crucian specimen of 54 cm, weighing 3 kg has been caught and photographed.^[14]

Relation to goldfish

Prussian carp Carassius gibelio as comparison

Many sources will state that the goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) is a cultivated breed of crucian carp taken from the wild. Since "crucian carp" is the name of the genus this is not strictly wrong, but certainly ambiguous and misleading. Genetic research has show goldfish is actually derives from the Prussian carp Carassius gibelio.

Aside from confusion in nomenclature, there is the practical issue of distinguishing true crassian carp from goldfish hybrids in, e.g., competitive coarse fishing. The following is based on a similar table of guidelines constructed by the Farnham Angling Society^[15]:

^{[citation needed]}

Use

These carp are also occasionally kept as freshwater aquarium fish, as well as in water gardens, although they are not commonly available commercially, mainly because they are not in particularly high demand due to the presence of more colourful fish such as the koi or orfe.

It has been suggested that this is a heavily farmed fish worldwide; FAO's newest statistics from 2008 (pub. 2011) shows total production C. Crassius at 1,957,337 tonnes, worth US$2,135,857,000, ranked 9th in worldwide in aquaculture, including marine fish and crustaceans,^[16] however this statistics treats the Asian C. gibelio carp as a subspecies of the European crucian carp^[17],, and it is evident that the greater bulk of this number is from the Asian fish farmed in China.^[17]

In terms of freshwater catches of C. Crassius (read Carassius spp.), FAO's 2006 satistics show 5.53 thousand tons harvested, which ranked 13th worldwide among freshwater fishes caught. The breakdown was Kazakhstan 2.2, Japan 1.12, Serbia 0.84, Moldova 0.19, Uzbekistan 0.19, Poland 0.13.^[16] In these figures, the tonnage from European countries may represent C. Crassius in some part.

In Poland, crucian (Polish: karaś) is considered the best-tasting pan fish, and traditionally served with sour cream (karasie w śmietanie).^[18] In Russia, this particular species is called Russian: Золотой карась meaning "golden crucian", and is one of the fish used in a borscht recipe called borshch c karasej^[19] (Russian: Борщ с карасе́й)or borshch c karasyami Russian: Борщ с карася́ми).

References

The Crucian Carp (Carassius carassius) is a member of the family Cyprinidae, which includes many other fish such as the common carp, or the smaller minnows. They inhabit lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers throughout Europe and Asia. The crucian is a medium-sized cyprinid, which rarely exceeds a weight of over 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg). They usually have a dark green back, golden sides, and reddish fins, although other colour variations exist.

They are often caught as a sport fish: the British rod-caught record for largest crucian is four pounds, nine ounces, caught by Martin Bowler in a lake in southern England in 2003. There have been various bids for a breakage of this record since, but they have been passed off as the specimens have not been said to have been "true" crucians, but hybrids between the carp and one of its relatives, such as the goldfish, which are not native to the British Isles. In the Netherlands a typical crucian specimen of 54 cm, weighing 3 kg has been caught and photographed.^[1] Hybrids often exhibit hybrid vigour or heterosis, being much more adept at finding food and evading predators than either of their parents, and thus pose somewhat of a threat to the native carp population, and to other native aquatic animals.

These carp are also occasionally kept as freshwater aquarium fish, as well as in water gardens, although they are not commonly available commercially, mainly because they are not in particularly high demand due to the presence of more colourful fish such as the koi or orfe. However, they are one of the most important aquaculture species. In 2005 they were the species with the 10th highest production, globally (FAO 2005).

The variation in shape of a Crucian carp can be very high. The fish get an almost perfect disc shape with well rounded fins. If no predators like pike or perch are present, the Crucian carp will grow in length rather than height and the fish will be more slender looking. The growth in height will make it difficult for predators to swallow the crucian carp.^[2]

In April 2011, Peter Rolfe (A.K.A. "The Crucian Crusader") set up a UK based website dedicated to the crucian, Carassius carassius, at www.crucians.org. The site provides a database of information and gathers together ideas and experiences, building up a really reliable resource for anglers, naturalists, conservationists, scientists, land-owners, fish farmers and dealers - in fact anyone who's interested in the species.

Relation to Goldfish

Many sources will claim that Crucian carp are the wild form of the goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus), the wild form of the goldfish is actually the Prussian carp Carassius gibelio , or sometimes Carassius auratus gibelio with gibelio identified as a subspecies of C. auratus. While they are certainly closely related, they are different species which can be identified by the following characteristics:

• C. auratus has a more pointed snout while the snout of C. carassius is well rounded.
• The wild form of the Goldfish C. auratus gibelio or C. gibelio often has a grey/greenish color, while crucian carps are always golden bronze.
• Juvenile crucian carp (and tench) have a black spot on the base of the tail which disappears with age. In C. auratus this tail spot is never present.
• C. auratus have fewer than 31 scales along the lateral line while crucian carp have 33 scales or more.^{[citation needed]}

Use

Although the crucian carp (鯽魚) can be raised as pets, it is also farmed and commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Despite being reputedly bony, the fish is easy to raise and relatively cheap and are often deep fried as part of a worker's meal.

There are many extensive and luxurious preparations for this fish in Chinese cuisine. For example, it can be found in the Shanghainese dish congshao jiyu (蔥燒鯽魚, lit. scallion cooked crucian carp), which requires long hours for preparation since the fish needs to be soaked in vinegar, and then deep-fried, stewed for a long prolonged period, and cooled to make the fish tender enough to consume together with all its bones.^[3] Also, crucian carp is used to make soup with tofu, which the Chinese believe to benefit women in the postpartum period.

Pictures

• 

  On exhibition Subaqueous Vltava in Prague

• 

  On exhibition Subaqueous Vltava in Prague

• 

  Young crucian carp from the Netherlands identifiable from gold fish by the black tail spot which disappears with age

• 

  The typical well rounded head shape of the crucian carp.

References

1. ^ http://www.visserslatijn.nl/specimenhunting/index.html
2. ^ Nilsson,P.A.;Brönmark,C:Petterson,L.B. - 2004- Benefits of a predator-induced morphology in crucian carp - Oecologia - Springer Berlin / Heidelberg ISSN 0029-8549 (Print) 1432-1939 (Online) - Issue Volume 104, Number 3 / November, 1995 - Pages 291-296
3. ^ Lee, Jesse (2008), 上海味兒, 旗林文化, ISBN 978-986-6655-14-2 

Wikispecies has information related to: Carassius carassius

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Crucian carp

• World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). Carassius carassius. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
• Fact sheet, taxonomic details, distribution maps, slideshow, and images of Carassius carassius at ZipcodeZoo.com.
• "Carassius carassius". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=163352. Retrieved 6 February 2006. 
• Fish Holds Breath for Months
• How carp 'hold their breath' through winter - New Scientist

FAO 2005 - FAO Fishstats.

v · d · ePrincipal commercial fishery species groups Wild Large pelagic fish Mackerel Salmon Shark Swordfish Tuna (yellowfin bigeye bluefin albacore skipjack) Forage fish Anchovy Capelin Herring Hilsa Menhaden Sardines Shad Demersal fish Catfish Cod (Atlantic Pacific) Flatfish (flounder halibut plaice sole turbot) Haddock Mullet Orange roughy Pollock Smelt-whitings Toothfish Freshwater fish Carp Sturgeon Tilapia Trout Other wild fish Eel Whitebait more... Crustaceans Crab Krill Lobster Shrimp more... Molluscs Abalone Mussels Octopus Oysters Scallops Squid more... Echinoderms Sea cucumbers Sea urchin more... Farmed Carp (bighead common crucian grass silver) Catfish Freshwater prawns Mussels Oysters Salmon (Atlantic salmon trout coho chinook) Scallops Seaweed Shrimp Tilapia Commercial fishing World fish production Fishing topics Fisheries glossary

The Crucian Carp (Carassius carassius) is a member of the family Cyprinidae, which includes many other fish such as the common carp, or the smaller minnows. They inhabit lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers throughout Europe and Asia. The crucian is a medium-sized cyprinid, which rarely exceeds a weight of over 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg). They usually have a dark green back, golden sides, and reddish fins, although other colour variations exist.

They are often caught as a sport fish: the British rod-caught record for largest crucian is four pounds, nine ounces, caught by Martin Bowler in a lake in southern England in 2003. There have been various bids for a breakage of this record since, but they have been passed off as the specimens have not been said to have been "true" crucians, but hybrids between the carp and one of its relatives, such as the goldfish, which are not native to the British Isles. In the Netherlands a typical crucian specimen of 54 cm, weighing 3 kg has been caught and photographed^[1]. Hybrids often exhibit hybrid vigour or heterosis, being much more adept at finding food and evading predators than either of their parents, and thus pose somewhat of a threat to the native carp population, and to other native aquatic animals.

These carp are also occasionally kept as freshwater aquarium fish, as well as in water gardens, although they are not commonly available commercially, mainly because they are not in particularly high demand due to the presence of more colourful fish such as the koi or orfe. However, they are one of the most important aquaculture species. In 2005 they were the species with the 10th highest production, globally (FAO 2005).

The variation in shape of a Crucian carp can be very high. The fish get an almost perfect disc shape with well rounded fins. If no predators like pike or perch are present, the Crucian carp will grow in length rather than height and the fish will be more slender looking. The growth in height will make it difficult for predators to swallow the crucian carp.^[2]

Relation to Goldfish

Many sources will claim that Crucian carp are the wild form of the goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus), the wild form of the goldfish is actually the Prussian carp Carassius gibelio , or sometimes Carassius auratus gibelio with gibelio identified as a subspecies of C. auratus. While they are certainly closely related, they are different species which can be identified by the following characteristics:

• C. auratus has a more pointed snout while the snout of C. carassius is well rounded.
• The wild form of the Goldfish C. auratus gibelio or C. gibelio often has a grey/greenish color, while crucian carps are always golden bronze.
• Juvenile crucian carp (and tench) have a black spot on the base of the tail which disappears with age. In C. auratus this tail spot is never present.
• C. auratus have fewer than 31 scales along the lateral line while crucian carp have 33 scales or more.

Use

Although the crucian carp (鯽魚) can be raised as pets, it is also farmed and commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Despite being reputedly bony, the fish is easy to raise and relatively cheap and are often deep fried as part of a worker's meal.

There are many extensive and luxurious preparations for this fish in Chinese cuisine. For example, it can be found in the Shanghainese dish congshao jiyu (蔥燒鯽魚, lit. scallion cooked crucian carp), which requires long hours for preparation since the fish needs to be soaked in vinegar, and then deep-fried, stewed for a long prolonged period, and cooled to make the fish tender enough to consume together with all its bones. ^[3] Also, crucian carp is used to make soup with tofu, which is believed by Chinese to　benefit woman in postpartum period.

Pictures

Young crucian carp from the Netherlands identifiable from gold fish by the black tail spot which disappears with age

The typical well rounded head shape of the crucian carp.

References

Wikispecies has information related to: Carassius carassius

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Crucian carp

• World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). Carassius carassius. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
• Fact sheet, taxonomic details, distribution maps, slideshow, and images of Carassius carassius at ZipcodeZoo.com.
• Carassius carassius (TSN 163352). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 6 February 2006.
• Fish Holds Breath for Months
• How carp 'hold their breath' through winter - New Scientist

FAO 2005 - FAO Fishstats.

1. ^ http://www.visserslatijn.nl/specimenhunting/index.html
2. ^ Nilsson,P.A.;Brönmark,C:Petterson,L.B. - 2004- Benefits of a predator-induced morphology in crucian carp - Oecologia - Springer Berlin / Heidelberg ISSN 0029-8549 (Print) 1432-1939 (Online) - Issue Volume 104, Number 3 / November, 1995 - Pages 291-296
3. ^ Lee, Jesse (2008), 上海味兒, 旗林文化, ISBN 978-986-6655-14-2 

v • d • e Principal commercial fishery species groups Wild Large pelagic fish Mackerel · Salmon · Shark · Swordfish · Tuna (yellowfin, bigeye, bluefin, albacore and skipjack) Forage fish Anchovy · Capelin · Herring · Hilsa · Menhaden · Sardines · Shad Demersal fish Catfish · Cod (Atlantic, Pacific) · Flatfish (flounder, halibut, plaice, sole and turbot) · Haddock · Mullet · Orange roughy · Pollock · Smelt-whitings · Toothfish Freshwater fish Carp · Sturgeon · Tilapia · Trout Other wild fish Eel · Whitebait · more... Crustaceans Crab · Krill · Lobster · Shrimp · more... Molluscs Abalone · Mussels · Octopus · Oysters · Scallops · Squid · more... Echinoderms Sea cucumbers · Sea urchin · more... Farmed Carp (bighead, common, crucian, grass, silver) · Catfish · Freshwater prawns · Mussels · Oysters · Salmon (Atlantic, salmon trout, coho, chinook) · Tilapia · Shrimp Commercial fishing · World fish production · Fishing topics · Fisheries glossary