Features of maturation of two-year-old common carp (Cyprinus Carpio) in cages in Uzbekistan

Abstract

In contrast to pond polyculture, where fish are raised in natural bodies of water and typically fed lower protein feeds, common carp raised in cages are fed high-protein feeds, leading to significantly faster growth rates. This study analyzed the sexual maturation characteristics of common carp raised in intensive culture in floating cages in the Tuyabuguz reservoir of Uzbekistan. One-year-old common carp fingerlings, weighing between 20 and 30 grams, were stocked in the cages in the spring. The fish were fed a diet containing 35% protein ("Aller Aqua" for common carp). By winter, the common carp had grown significantly, reaching weights between 992 and 1691 grams. Remarkably, by December of the same year, at just one year of age, all female and male common carp had gonads at stages III - IV, indicating their first sexual maturation. This rapid rate of maturation is noteworthy, as it occurs 1-2 years faster than in common carp raised in ponds in the temperate climate of Uzbekistan.