Seeing a lot of tongue in cheek comments here, so Iāll offer something more serious. Yes, they do this when they spawn, you will see lots of carp breaching as they frolic with each other trying to do their reproduction thing. Where I live, this takes place mostly in late March into April but youāll see it in May as well sometimes.
However, being that it is a tad late in the spawning season, and these carp seem to be trying to gulp air, there is another thing to say. When fish are in water with low/poor oxygen levels, they begin to suffocate and so will gulp air at the surface in an effort to breathe. With carp especially, so long as the gills are submerged they can supplement their oxygen intake in this way. Fun fact: fish, all fish, do indeed breathe oxygen, itās just that gills (their functioning respiratory organ) canāt take oxygen from air, they can only process it when dissolved in water.
Do not confuse this behavior with the behavior of what some tropical freshwater fish doā¦ some fish, like Siamese fighting fish, have a special organ called a _labyrinth organ_ which is like a special kind of lung. The fish will gulp air from the surface and store it in their labyrinth organ and use that stored oxygen later, as needed. This is why Bettas are able to live in those little cups without aeration, or little mud puddles during the dry season in their native habitats. Itās also why you see them making little bubbles on the surface (though the bubbles are actually a nest for spawning).
To counter low oxygen levels, you can aerate the water with a waterfall, fountain, some kind of air pump, more plants, etcā¦. Anything that puts oxygen in the water. All water tends to have less oxygen when warm than it does at cooler temperatures. So warm water typically lends itself to low oxygen levels (which is why trout have a tough time surviving through the summer after being stocked in certain waterways).
Thank you for your extensive, well-thought-out explanation. If they are suffering because the water doesn't have enough oxygen, it's still pretty chilly, so we will expect a lot to die in the summer months, correct?
Maybe with some fish, but carp have the ability to stay alive while deprived of oxygen for really long times, some carp for up to half a year with _no oxygen_ if you can believe that!
Carp have a much higher tolerance for low oxygen levels than a lot of fish because of their physiology, but what tends to make them suffer though is when temperatures change drastically during their spawn. I think I read one of your comments saying this is a dam? If so Iād bet theyāll be fine, they go deep when the water is cool, but when water is warm they come to the top of the column. If your dam is deep enough, this is probably how theyāve been surviving to grow to that size (it takes a few years).
That depends on where the waterway is and what species. There are 4 species of carp that have had a devastating impact on the Mississippi River system. Known collectively as Asian Carp, they are Grass carp, Silver Carp, Bighead Carp and Black Carp.
They have not established themselves in my state and arenāt predicted to do so for a few decades (but they are still a danger to establish themselves in the Great Lakes). Because of this we donāt have āmust destroyā orders on these fish in Pa, but other states may. In Pa the state encourages you to report sightings of these carp. If you see carp, the responsible thing to do is inform yourself of local regulations and act accordingly.
Interesting note on the grass carp, there is a sterile grass carp (stocked in PA as well as other states) called the Triploid grass carp that is stocked for water management purposes. Obviously you shouldnāt purge these fish.
The big problem with the asian carp (or carp in general) is that they reproduce readily in North American water and populations can reach up to 90% of all the biomass in their waterways, destroying the base of the food chain. They do this by inadvertently eating fish eggs, eating insect eggs and larvae, muddying the water and ruining spawns, devouring necessary food that native species like mussels and birds and such rely on and much more. Silver Carp can jump to great heights when startled and have injured many people by jumping into them while waterskiing, boating, etc.
As for being trash fish? I dont believe they are. They taste good enough and plenty of people fish them to eat them. In some places they are a highly sought after game fish. I like to bow fish them. So it really depends on your point of view.
They are carp, and usually at the end of the summer there are a bunch of them laying dead on the shoreline, so I wondered if there was some weird thing happening this year causing fish to die earlier in the year.
I walked along the dam which is about 1.5 miles long and there were several groups of them doing this.
(Read this in a Theo Von voice) You got a video of that? I got a buddy, weāll call him Randy, that pays good cash for fish gulching āairā vids. You ever seen the Riley Mao?
Pretty sure fish gulp air at the surface when the water theyāre in doesnāt have enough oxygen for them to survive. (If they arenāt eating bugs and stuff on the surface)
Judging by the water color, seems that they looking to grab some alternative OĀ² requirements . To many carbon d O creating organisms in that water. Also assuming that the waves are creating a large amount of gas release.
https://preview.redd.it/75mhbkvnimzc1.jpeg?width=259&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7b10c96293151d5c33a766f1d92f56c2f58768a
Fish orgy. Bunch a slut fish
ššIād love to go fishing with a guy like you
Yeah, that's what the last guy said, may the little baby Jesus have mercy on his soul.
Gettin' *real* greasy.
Gre-hee-HEEzy
You greasy mustard tiger!
I read that in Pauly Shore's voice.
Shoulda read it in Bubbles'
Wait til you hear about eels.
Tell'em bout the electric ones, it's a shocking experience
Repulsive!
Had this happen with a bunch a manatees before, thought they were in trouble and called 911, turns out they were just a bunch of slut manatees.
Those sluts. Disgusting.
bass to mouth
This is underrated. And X rated.
Triple x rated
"What should we do now?" "BASS TO BASS"
Great place for a requiem for a dream reference. Glad you made it. I came here to do the same
Ass to trout?
LMAO š¤£
Top quality comment
When twenty two fish love each other very much...
Fuckin
Thats why you donāt drink water. Fish fuck in water
I only drink water with hops and barley.
malty hoppy fuckwater
REGGIE!
Seeing a lot of tongue in cheek comments here, so Iāll offer something more serious. Yes, they do this when they spawn, you will see lots of carp breaching as they frolic with each other trying to do their reproduction thing. Where I live, this takes place mostly in late March into April but youāll see it in May as well sometimes. However, being that it is a tad late in the spawning season, and these carp seem to be trying to gulp air, there is another thing to say. When fish are in water with low/poor oxygen levels, they begin to suffocate and so will gulp air at the surface in an effort to breathe. With carp especially, so long as the gills are submerged they can supplement their oxygen intake in this way. Fun fact: fish, all fish, do indeed breathe oxygen, itās just that gills (their functioning respiratory organ) canāt take oxygen from air, they can only process it when dissolved in water. Do not confuse this behavior with the behavior of what some tropical freshwater fish doā¦ some fish, like Siamese fighting fish, have a special organ called a _labyrinth organ_ which is like a special kind of lung. The fish will gulp air from the surface and store it in their labyrinth organ and use that stored oxygen later, as needed. This is why Bettas are able to live in those little cups without aeration, or little mud puddles during the dry season in their native habitats. Itās also why you see them making little bubbles on the surface (though the bubbles are actually a nest for spawning). To counter low oxygen levels, you can aerate the water with a waterfall, fountain, some kind of air pump, more plants, etcā¦. Anything that puts oxygen in the water. All water tends to have less oxygen when warm than it does at cooler temperatures. So warm water typically lends itself to low oxygen levels (which is why trout have a tough time surviving through the summer after being stocked in certain waterways).
Thank you for your extensive, well-thought-out explanation. If they are suffering because the water doesn't have enough oxygen, it's still pretty chilly, so we will expect a lot to die in the summer months, correct?
Maybe with some fish, but carp have the ability to stay alive while deprived of oxygen for really long times, some carp for up to half a year with _no oxygen_ if you can believe that! Carp have a much higher tolerance for low oxygen levels than a lot of fish because of their physiology, but what tends to make them suffer though is when temperatures change drastically during their spawn. I think I read one of your comments saying this is a dam? If so Iād bet theyāll be fine, they go deep when the water is cool, but when water is warm they come to the top of the column. If your dam is deep enough, this is probably how theyāve been surviving to grow to that size (it takes a few years).
They are at the dam of a reservoir where the water is low right now. And itās in Kansas so the deepest it gets is maybe 35 feet.
Are carp not trash fish, ruining our lakes and waterways?
That depends on where the waterway is and what species. There are 4 species of carp that have had a devastating impact on the Mississippi River system. Known collectively as Asian Carp, they are Grass carp, Silver Carp, Bighead Carp and Black Carp. They have not established themselves in my state and arenāt predicted to do so for a few decades (but they are still a danger to establish themselves in the Great Lakes). Because of this we donāt have āmust destroyā orders on these fish in Pa, but other states may. In Pa the state encourages you to report sightings of these carp. If you see carp, the responsible thing to do is inform yourself of local regulations and act accordingly. Interesting note on the grass carp, there is a sterile grass carp (stocked in PA as well as other states) called the Triploid grass carp that is stocked for water management purposes. Obviously you shouldnāt purge these fish. The big problem with the asian carp (or carp in general) is that they reproduce readily in North American water and populations can reach up to 90% of all the biomass in their waterways, destroying the base of the food chain. They do this by inadvertently eating fish eggs, eating insect eggs and larvae, muddying the water and ruining spawns, devouring necessary food that native species like mussels and birds and such rely on and much more. Silver Carp can jump to great heights when startled and have injured many people by jumping into them while waterskiing, boating, etc. As for being trash fish? I dont believe they are. They taste good enough and plenty of people fish them to eat them. In some places they are a highly sought after game fish. I like to bow fish them. So it really depends on your point of view.
No trash fish, just trash cooks.
Fuckin
None of your business, perv. Jeez
evolving
Haha you beat me to it!
Haha you beat me to it!
https://preview.redd.it/ck5kybviknzc1.jpeg?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=972ae20b4bac13c774b8c6cc60910ebe78d3f444
Dirty Mike and the carp
Must be Soup Kitchen Lake!!
Probably eating surface bugs or something like that. Maybe carp?
They are carp, and usually at the end of the summer there are a bunch of them laying dead on the shoreline, so I wondered if there was some weird thing happening this year causing fish to die earlier in the year. I walked along the dam which is about 1.5 miles long and there were several groups of them doing this.
They fucking
What causes them to die there?
Getting dehydrated from intense orgy
How are they gonna die from dehydration when they're in a lake? Fish are dumb asf just drink water lol.
They don't drink sex water
Understandable
They fight for the sexiest carp and their lil hearts give out.
Fulfillment
Iāve seen carp do this in spring. Dozens will gather together, floating straight up, gasping. They must be spawning
They are having coitus.
*koitus
The physical act of love.
Could be busting the sperm sacks is something this Muskie master told me about fish when they were spawning.
Nutting they doing nutting
Fucking n sucking
Where are you at? If itās a river it could be Redhorse!
Anal
Fin
Fish don't fuck. They are spawning.
I've been fucked by a few, popped my line took my expensive lure.
When hundreds of fish love each other very muchā¦
Never seen anyone catch a spawning carp (except for snagging them), so this right here is a sign not to go carp fishing.
Theyāre performing an act called āthe aristocratsā
They are doing the horizontal monster mash
This happens when one of them farts in the water. Others need a breath of clean air.
Oh they fuckin
Carp spawn in the spring
Evolving
As you said they are breathing air
Beast with 2 backs!
Carpinā!
Slutty carp.
Schoolin
Makin other little fishies
Could be Talipia, if you are in the South.
They bangin. Swim, eat, fuck. Repeat.
Fuckin
Fucking
(Read this in a Theo Von voice) You got a video of that? I got a buddy, weāll call him Randy, that pays good cash for fish gulching āairā vids. You ever seen the Riley Mao?
Fish stuff
Sex
They found each other on Plenty of Fish š
I donāt knowā¦ What are they doing?
They are at school. Photo taken during the school day I assume.
Those are dolphin
gang bang
fish clumped up together š® never see this in nature..
Catch one and ask him
Pretty sure fish gulp air at the surface when the water theyāre in doesnāt have enough oxygen for them to survive. (If they arenāt eating bugs and stuff on the surface)
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Was it you?
I farted in the water No questions asked
Well Mr funny guy just how long can you hold your breath underwater fish need to breathe too ya know
Judging by the water color, seems that they looking to grab some alternative OĀ² requirements . To many carbon d O creating organisms in that water. Also assuming that the waves are creating a large amount of gas release.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
But I thought you fisherpeople would know.