Comparison Of Growth And Reproduction Of Mirror Carp And Scaled Carp Introduced Into Gelingullu Reservoir, Yozgat, Turkey

Abstract

Carp have been translocated and introduced outside of their natural range in many countries. In Turkey, mirror carp (a warmwater fish) has generally been introduced into man-made reservoirs for fishery management, regardless of geographic location and climatic conditions. During the previous decade, controversy has arisen concerning the adaptation and spawning of carp, and the success of such introduction practices in Central Anatolia, which is characterized by typical cold continental weather conditions. Concurrently, based on some irregular observations, scaled carp was reintroduced as an alternative to mirror carp. Long-term monitoring studies on the growth and reproduction of mirror carp and scaled carp introduced into reservoirs are necessary for effective fishery management. This study aimed to compare the growth and reproduction of mirror carp and scaled carp populations in Geling Reservoir. A total of 796 mirror carp and 285 scaled carp were caught between June 2002 and July 2005. Scaled carp reached up to 61.9 cm in fork length (FL) at age 8+ whereas mirror carp could reach to a maximum of 71.5 cm in FL at age 9+. The data show that mirror carp had a better growth rate and higher fecundity than scaled carp. Introduction of mirror carp may be recommended for fishery management applications under continental climate conditions.