Historical aspects of carp domestication and breeding

Abstract

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) is one of the most widely cultivated fish species in the world. According to FAO, in 2020, it ranked 4th in the global production of aquaculture products. When growing carp all over the world, both natural reservoirs and pond farms, trucks and industrial complexes of cage farms, UZS and others are used. In a number of countries, there is a traditional extensive production of carp in large ponds and natural reservoirs for recreational purposes. There are systems of ponds and reservoirs, the design and original construction of which in many cases date back hundreds of years, representing managed landscapes. This sector of aquaculture brings significant social and cultural dividends, at the same time, carp breeding is often criticized as an anthropogenic factor in the eutrophication of inland freshwater reservoirs. Currently, the process of domestication and the ways of settlement of this species have become the subject of close attention of many researchers. As with some other domestic animals, even the original habitat of the carp is subject to a number of doubts, and the place and time of the appearance of the mirror morph remains a mystery. The purpose of this review was to study the historical aspects and trends of carp domestication in the world, to identify the main time intervals of domestication and breeding, modern methods of working with carp and possible prospects for the development of carp farming in the world. In addition, the main theories of the origin and initial distribution of the species are considered.