Life history and population dynamics of invasive common carp, Cyprinus carpio, within a large turbid African impoundment

As one of the most widely established freshwater fishes globally, the invasive success of common carp, Cyprinus carpio, is beyond dispute. Although detailed knowledge on its biology would assist in its management, relatively few life history studies have investigated C. carpio outside of its natural range. The present study analyses the life history and population structure of exotic C. carpio in a 364 km2 African impoundment. We used whole astericus otoliths to show that C. carpio attained ages of up to 7 years and grew more rapidly than has been recorded for any population from Europe or Australia. Macroscopic staging of gonads indicated protracted spawning, with highest reproductive activity observed during late spring and early summer. Total mortality, natural mortality and fishing mortality rates were estimated at 0.72, 0.60 and 0.12 year–1 respectively. Life history comparisons across the species’ global distribution showed large variations in growth and longevity, whereas early maturation (2–3 years) appeared to be a rather conservative trait. The combination of early maturity, fast growth and relatively high natural mortality rates suggests a rapid population growth potential associated with high resilience to management interventions once C. carpio has been introduced.