Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) alters its feeding niche in response to changing food resources: direct observations in simulated ponds

Abstract

We used customized fish tanks as model fish ponds to observe grazing, swimming, and conspecific social behavior of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) under variable food-resource conditions to assess alterations in feeding niche. Different food and feeding situations were created by using only pond water or pond water plus pond bottom sediment or pond water plus pond bottom sediment and artificial feeding. All tanks were fertilized twice, prior to stocking and 2 weeks later after starting the experiment to stimulate natural food production. Common carp preferred artificial feed over benthic macroinvertebrates, followed by zooplankton. Common carp did not prefer any group of phytoplankton in any treatment. Common carp was mainly benthic in habitat choice, feeding on benthic macroinvertebrates when only plankton and benthic macroinvertebrates were available in the system. In the absence of benthic macroinvertebrates, their feeding niche shifted from near the bottom of the tanks to the water column where they spent 85% of the total time and fed principally on zooplankton. Common carp readily switched to artificial feed when available, which led to better growth. Common carp preferred to graze individually. Behavioral observations of common carp in tanks yielded new information that assists our understanding of their ecological niche. This knowledge could be potentially used to further the development of common carp aquaculture.

The response of phytoplankton, zooplankton and macrozoobenthos communities to change in the water supply from surface to groundwater in aquaculture ponds

“…3(A); List of taxa and their abundances in two investigation years, see online material), being in line with the increasing fish biomass (Fig. 3(B)) conforming the consistent predator-prey link between these groups (Ada´mek et al, 2003;Rahman et al, 2010).…”

“…One of the reasons for the crash of Bosmina population could be explained by the predatory pressure from fish, since high water temperature (Rettig et al, 2006) and eutrophic state are factors favouring the development of this species (Kuczyn´ska-Kippen and Joniak, 2010). Although there is some controversy going on concerning the size of common carp preferring zooplankton in their diet (Rahman et al, 2010) there is evidence that carp can consume smaller crustaceans, especially when they are in very high densities (Milstein, 1992). Additionally, the disappearance of Cladocera coincided with the appearance of Cyanobacteria (Fig.…”

Impact of topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) on production of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) — question of natural food structure

“…It is generally known among the fish farmers that common carp utilizes artificial feed less efficiently if natural food is not available simultaneously (Moor 1985;Kaushik 1995). It was demonstrated experimentally, e.g., by Rahman et al (2010) in their food-behavioral study that the common carp reached the highest SGR at a combination of natural food and artificial feeding.…”

Differential effects of age-structured common carp (Cyprinus carpio) stocks on pond invertebrate communities: implications for recreational and wildlife use of farm ponds

“…This indicates that in carp the shift to probing the bottom may occur at a very early ontogenetic stage (see also Adzhimuradov 1972;Matlak and Matlak 1976;Vilizzi 1998). Carp prefer benthic macroinvertebrates over zooplankton (Rahman et al 2010), but it is not clear whether the importance of zooplankton in the spring diet of C1? carp was related to the relatively lower availability of benthic resources in spring.…”