Carassius carassius

Mark, if you have any exciting Swedish cru experiences I might be able to use some in the book - there's a Swedish dedicated section and anythig you can add to what I already have would be very useful. Peter

Thanks, Mark, that would be great. It's a lovely looking fish. Peter

Captain Blue,hi. I'm writing a book on crucian carp. Is there any way I can get hold of a good quality pic. of that huge crucian, please? Carassius carassius

Re. Peter Sharpe's two types of crucian, the Victorians said that one was Carassius carassius, t'ther Carassius carassius var. gibelio. I wonder if they still exist and that scientists have lost sight of the fact. Look at the shape of the Summer Pit crucians and those in, say, John Bailey's books. They are not the same but I bet they're both crucian carp. Received wisdom is that the crucian is of variable shape and that it all depends on the food and room available in the water concerned but I don't think that holds water(!) There are too many exceptions. And I'm not wittering on about crucian/goldfish crosses or F1's - perish the thought - but fish that meet all the guidelines for being a crucian and yet are a different shape, less high backed. A bloke called Smitt called them Lake Crucians and Pond Crucians. Now there's food for thought.

To find out if the fish is a crucian or not, it may help to check the following: 32 or 33 (rarely 31 or 34) scales along the lateral line, if the thing'll stay still long enough to count. Usually the slots are incomplete or peter out above the vent. Usually 7 complete scales in the diagonal line from the beginning of the dorsal to the lateral line, 6 from lateral to beginning of ventral fins. No barbules Dorsal fin curves out - convex Tail fin nearly straight when fully extended Colour: dark back, usually brassy yellow flanks and belly Paired fins red or orange, sometimes with dark tips In a well grown one, the depth from dorsal fin to ventral fins is about half the length from nose to the beginning of the tail. If you find a dead one (!) there should be about 28 rakers on the first gill arch and the body lining is white, cream ivory in colour. You can still get it wrong after all that but chances are you'll eliminate a lot of false ones! Yes, I am a crucian anorak!