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onto objects of the lake bed and begin development. One reason for the success of carp is the large number of eggs pro- duced. A 15-inch female was found to have 36,000 eggs while a 33-inch female had 2,208,000 eggs (Swee and McCrimmon 1966). Although not an extremely popular sport fish in Colorado, the carp has devotees. In the spring, carp are sought by archers. When hooked by a angler, carp provide a more tenacious fight than many other popular sport fish. In many people's opinion, carp meat is as desirable as any other fish species. In 1980, Barr lake near Denver was commercially fished for carp and the fish were shipped to Nebraska and sold with favorable results through a restaurant specializing in carp sand- wiches. The common carp represents a largely untapped recreational and food resource in Colorado. GOLDFISH Carassius auratus (Linnaeus) A medium-to-large, deep-bodied min- now; mouth relatively small, no barbels; long dorsal fin, usually 17 (15-18) soft rays, with one spine anteriorly; less than 30 scales in the lateral line. Goldfish are black, white, red, gold or any combination of these colors. Fish spawned in the wild are often dark olive- brown on the back, fading to yellow on the stomach. Young goldfish may be green or brown. Goldfish can grow to a fairly large size, reaching 10-11 inches in length and weighing 1-1.5 pounds. A length of 16 inches and weight of 3.5 pounds has been reported (Pflieger 1975). Range: Native to eastern Asia, goldfish were introduced to Europe and commonly found on that continent by the 18th cen- tury (Scott and Crossman 1973). Brought to this continent as ornamentals and for bait, goldfish are now found throughout the United States. Goldfish were first intro- duced to Colorado in 1872 or 1879 (Wiltzius 1981). Released into ponds and lakes via bait buckets and by well mean- ing people tired of their pets, goldfish can be found in many municipal ponds, lakes and slow, meandering streams throughout the state. Habitat: Goldfish are best suited for small ponds with an abundance of rooted aquatic plants. The goldfish is omnivorous, taking a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates and aquatic vegetation (Scott and Crossman 1973). A spring spawner, reproductive activities are much like the carp, although more subdued. - - -t- - -r- - r - - - f ?I I I I ? r-- I J . I I ? I I I S r--- I I -? I • 1L - - `? 'mac f'- `J^•`?J to I I I Ir 1 ? 1 I I I ? ; `1 r I Distribution by County of the carp I ? I 1 ? I >_ I J I Family Cyprirudae Genus Carassius Adult goldfish. Photo by Richard Imler. Used as bait in many regions, such a practice in Colorado is not encouraged. Native minnow species are more suitable - - rl ? 1 - 'mot I ? ? ft , for use as live bait and just as hardy. Since goldfish are an exotic species, continued expansion of its range cannot be justified. I ; --1 i I I I I J J -.4 1 I r- Lam, I T_ -7 I ? Y , I I i /1 , '{( P ? ?/ - I I t I \T Distribution by County of the goldfish. I I I I F I I - F-- -1 1 I I I II I I - - r I 19 Colorado's Little Fish