Investigations on the Reproduction Characters of the Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, in the Altınkaya Dam Lake, Turkey

Authors: Recep BİRCAN, Muammer ERDEM

Abstract: This research was carried out from October 1990 to September 1993 in the Altınkaya Dam Lake of Bafra of Samsun province. In this period, 592 Common carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) were examined totally. The purpose of this study was to determine some reproduction features of the common carp such as the spawning season, fecundity, maturity age and sex ratio. The spawning took place from April-May to September-October. The common carp was established as a fractional spawner. Both the males and the females were found to attain maturity when two years old. Of 592 specimens, 311 were females and 281 were males. In the females and males, the ovaries constituted 0.131 to 20.142 % of the total weight of the fish, with an average of 2.092 %, and testes 0.030 to 8.770 %, with an average of 2.104 %. The ovarian eggs were found to be of different sizes. The most mature ova had an average diameter from 1.003 to 1.308. The number of ova per g ovary ranged from 603 to 1954 with an average of 1213. The fecundity varied considerably from individual to individual and ranged from 14656 to 575810 eggs, the average being 156197. The fecundity showed an increase with the increase in size of the fish. The number of ova per mm fork lenght and per g body weight 346 and 89, respectively. The various statistical relationships between fish lenght/weight and gonad weight and fecundity have been derived.

Keywords: Cyprinus carpio, spawning season, fecundity, sexual maturity age, sex composition, Turkey