Carp is an interesting enough fish to study. It is known that among this species of fish there are infertile individuals; there are frequent cases of finding hermaphrodite carps, which showed signs of both a male and a female. However, if the carp has reached sexual maturity, it can be distinguished by some characteristics of a male or female.
Instructions
Step 1
Determining the sex of an immature carp is almost impossible. Upon reaching puberty, you can see that males lag behind females in growth, by almost half. Their body is more elongated and thinner. When carp spawns, whitish warts can be seen on the back of the head, cheeks, gill covers and anterior fins of males. This is a kind of natural decoration during the spawning season.
Step 2
In schools of cyprinids, the number of males over females always prevails twice, if not more. This is due to the special structure of eggs in all species of carp fish. There are other differences between male and female carp. Take a closer look at the individuals of these fish during spawning. In female carp, the genital opening will be clearly larger. It is plump than that of males, with a pronounced red tint. The belly of females is enlarged and soft. If you lightly press on the abdomen of the male carp during the spawning period, a small amount of milk or whitish liquid will be released.
Step 3
The pectoral (front) fins of the male are sharper than the rounded and smaller fins of the female. If you touch the gill covers of the fish with your finger, then the males will have them rough, like sandpaper. In females, they are smooth, covered with mucus.
Step 4
Male and female carp have different anus. In males, it is extended from the head towards the tail and is a triangular fold. In females, it is oval-elongated. The eggs of a female carp do not stand out when pressed on the abdomen, like in many other fish individuals, until it is ripe.
Step 5
Both representatives of the carp family, male and female, are distinguished by a thick body, moderately long with large scales that sit tightly on the skin. The head of the carp is large, the lips are large, well developed. The upper lip has a pair of short antennae. The dorsal fin is long; the anal fin is always short. The side of the fish is golden in color, the back is dark. But the color of carp, depending on where the fish lives, can change somewhat - be darker or, conversely, lighter.
