Carp Fishing

The Eyes

The carp's eyes are located on either side of the head to give an excellent field of vision; they are very sensitive to movement. However, they do not offer the fish a good binocular vision. The carp's eye operates very much like a camera, and rays of light are focused onto the retina by the lens. According to scientists, fish see within an angle of 97.6 degrees and can see in a circular window when looking above the water.

Outside the window, images are reflected off the water surface onto the bottom, which is why fish have difficulty viewing items on the bottom during strong winds. Carp are thought to possess photoreceptors which have enhanced sensitivity to capture photons (solar radiation components) at low light levels, but in the main, they are said to have trichromatic vision with visual pigments absorption peaks of approximately 455nm (blue), 530nm (green), and 625nm (red) - this means that the fish sees better in depths of less than 25m. Deeper than this, the carp is thought to see in the blue light spectrum, although biotic and abiotic factors can influence this.

Mechanoreceptors

All carp possess an acoustic-lateralis system. The mechanoreceptors are located in this system, comprising the ear and lateral line, which work in co-ordination with one another. The neuromast is the basic mechanoreceptor and this consists of a group of sensory hair cells which help the fish to locate water movements and direction, as well as to co-ordinate balance. It basically operates by causing vibrations in the fish which allow it to detect sound as well as potential dangers - such as those projected by outboard motors or echo sounders. Although the ears of carp are hidden, the lateral line is often very distinct on mirrors, leathers and linear carp.

Scales

The carp's skin comprises two different layers - an inner (dermis) and an outer (epidermis). All scales grow from within the inner layer and are protected by a layer of mucus. Both layers act as major defences for the carp against infection. It is possible for fish to lose scales naturally or through bad handling by anglers, and they will normally grow back. However, anglers should try to minimize any possible damage by wetting weighing equipment prior to use and having a bottle of antiseptic solution, such as Klin-ik, handy.