MORPHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF COMMON CARP (Cyprinus carpio carpio L.) POPULATIONS IN REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

Abstract

In this study common carp populations from Croatian fish ponds (Draganići, Končanica, Našička Breznica, Orahovica (Grudnjak) and Poljana), and three carp populations from open waters (Sava and Danube rivers and Vransko lake) were analyzed, with total of 295 specimens. All populations were checked for 20 morphometric and 13 meristic parameters. The analysis was conducted using Principal component analysis (PCA) and Constrained linear analysis of canonical redundancy (RDA). According to the number gill rakers the most distinguished are carps from Sava river and Vransko lake, and some individuals from the Danube river, while the fish pond populations do not emphasize by this parameter. Fish pond populationes Grudnjak, Draganići, Končanica and Našice are overlapping. The Danube population is divided into two groups: one group is closely associated with fish pond populations, while another group is closely link with populations of carp in open waters. Specimens of carp from the Danube, which are morphologically similar to fish pond carps are considered to have recently entered into open water and still have the external characteristics of domestic carps. By this research a significant separation of domestic and open waters carp was revealed which has proven Monte Carlo test (F=347.191; p=0.002), however, a clear separation of domestic strains of common carps is not noticeable.

Keywords

• morphology
• common carp
• cyprinus carpio carpio
• croatia