Common Carp

Ghost Carp

Mirror Carp

Crucian Carp

CARP : Introduced into the UK by the Romans this species is now common in lakes, canals and slow rivers feeding on plant material and bottom living invertebrates. They have a deep body, long dorsal fin and a pair of barbules. All carp and related fish have a toothless mouth but possess pharyngeal teeth at the beginning of the gullet to grind food into digestionable sizes. Carp spawn in reed beds around May and June, laying hundreds of thousands of tiny eggs.
Many different varieties of carp have bred over the years since the initial introduction into the UK, the original wild carp becoming somewhat rarer than these crossbred ones.
Varieties of carp found in UK waters include :-common carp - dark bronze and fully-scaled, mirror carp - large irregular shaped scales, ghost carp - a white version of the common or mirror, linear mirror carp - scales present only in lateral lines, leather carp - totally scaleless, koi carp - an ornamental fish that comes in a variety of combinations of red, orange, black and white.

 

Chub

This species is common in steady flowing rivers, usually in shoals in the upper middle reaches. They are also stocked by many commercial stillwater fisheries throughout the UK. Chub feed on plant material, invertebrates, and insects. Larger more solitary fish also eat small fish as part of their normal diet. This fish has a chunky body with a large mouth, rounded fins and dark edges to its scales. During spawning from May to June, the male develops white tubercles over the head and upper body.

Tench

An olive green or bronze fish with rounded fins, small slimy scales and red eyes. Found at the bottom of stagnant still waters, often in the mud as tench can survive in waters with low oxygen levels. The females grow considerably larger than the males and lay up to 900 000 small green eggs from May to July. An ornamental variety of tench is found in UK waters, the golden tench. It is bright orange in colour, quite often with dark coloured spots

Bream

This species is common in lakes and slow rivers, usually in shoals near weedbeds, feeding on plant material and invertebrates. They have a prominent covering of protective slime, a deep laterally compressed body, long anal fin compared with the dorsal fin, a forked tail and a relatively small head and mouth. Bream are silver when young (known as "skimmers" ) but turn a darker bronze colour when they mature.
During spawning from May to June, the male develops white tubercles over the head and upper body and defends territories in marginal weedbeds were spawning takes place with much splashing. When living in a mixed community the roach will often interbreed with other species, creating hybrids such as the roach-bream hybrid. A smaller species is also found in the UK, the Silver bream (Blicca bjoerkna). These are smaller then the common, or bronze bream, and are silver in colour with red anal and pectoral fins
 

Perch

This species is common in lakes, ponds and slow reaches of rivers, feeding on invertebrates when young and other fish when mature. Instantly recognisable by its separate spiney dorsal fins, olive green stripes and red pelvic and anal fins (often nicknamed "Stripies"). During spawning around April each female lays up to 300 000 eggs in strands over plants. It is common for perch to mature in under one year.

This species is common in lakes and rivers, usually in shoals near weedbeds, feeding on plant material and invertebrates. Instantly recognisable by its distinctive red fins (often nicknamed "Red-fins"). During spawning from April to June, the male develops white tubercles over the head and upper body and each female lays 5000 - 10000 eggs, which stick to plants and hatch in 4 - 10 days. Stunted roach are found in overcrowded habitats. When living in a mixed community the roach will often interbreed with other species, creating hybrids such as the roach-bream hybrid.

Rudd

Similar species to the roach, quite often favouring the middle to upper layers of water. Common in lakes and rivers feeding on plant material and invertebrates as well as surface insects. Like the roach the rudd has red fins but can be distinguished by its golden tint and the fact that its dorsal fin rises behind its pelvic fin whereas the roach's dorsal and pelvic fins are in line with one another. When living in a mixed community the rudd will often interbreed with other species like roach and bream creating hybrids.