Carp

Carp (Cyprinius carpio) was introduced to North America as a food fish in the late 1870s, although sources do not agree on whether the fish is native to Asia or to Europe. Because it is tolerant of relatively warm water, carp has been ideal for pond raising and can live as long as twenty years, quickly growing to a length as great as two feet in seven years. In North America, the largest reported carp caught was sixty pounds, although the common size is between one and two feet with a weight of eight to ten pounds.