Carp Fishing

The Intestine

The carp does not have a stomach but instead has a very long intestine, where its food is broken down by enzymes. The carp's diet is very varied (it is omnivorous) so the intestine needs to cope with both meat and weed products. Weed generally requires more mastication by the fish and takes longer to digest (due to the large number of cells it possesses), and this is why the intestine is so long. Within the intestine, which starts directly behind the oesophagus, powerful digestive juices assist with the passage of food. The reaction caused by digestion is usually alkaline (pH 7-7.7); recent experiments have shown that the pH level fluctuates depending on the temperature of the water. Pepsin (an essential protein-digesting enzyme) is not found naturally in the carp, but has to be gained by the fish through its food sources.

Feeding

The carp will sample most food items with its lips, which are equipped with minute receptors. If the item is found attractive, it will pass to the carp's throat teeth before ingestion. The pharyngeal teeth are located behind the mouth proper and comprise between one and three rows of teeth, depending on the type of carp. These will