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Salinity.- 0 Able to tolerate salinity concentrations of up to 17 ppt [Becker 1983] . General Behavior: Benthic omnivore. Diet consists of insects, crustaceans, plant debris, algae, zooplankton, and fish [Sigler 1958]. Reproduction: Maturation.-Males mature at 1-4 years of age, and females mature at 2-6 years [Carlander 1969). Attain a maximum length of 107-122 cm. Average longevity is 9-15 years with a maximum of 47 years. Spawning Requirements.-Over the range of this species, spawning occurs intermittently between March and August. In the Yampa River, 1976-1977, spawned mid May-mid August with peak spawning occurring early June-early July [Carlson et al. 1979]. Spawn over aquatic vegetation, tree roots, mud bottoms, and debris covering the bottom in rivers, lakes, marshes, swamps, ponds, and sheltered, vegetated areas of streams. Temperature is the primary stimulus for spawning. Spawning temperatures range 10-30°C with 18-23°C considered Optimum [Mansueti and Hardy 1967]. Spawning Behavior and Biology.-Spawning often occurs during twilight hours [Brown 1971]. Eggs are deposited in batches of 500-600 over a 2-m area [Sublette et al. 1990). Reported fecundity ranges 36,000 to over 2.2 million per kg body weight [Swee and McCrimmon 1966]. Eggs and Young. Eggs are demersal, adhesive, and have a maximum diameter of 1.5-2.1 mm [Sigler 19581. Incubation time is 3-5 d at 20°C and 5 d at 15°C [Mansueti and Hardy 19671. Total length at hatching is 4-5 mm [Snyder 1981]. Examples of Interactions with Native Colorado River Basin Fishes: ¦ Because common carp was the most abundant nonnative fish in rivers of Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah, it was suspected of having a negative impact on native fishes by egg predation [Karp and Tyus 1990b] . ¦ Common carp occupy the same habitats as the endangered fishes throughout the Yampa River, Colorado, during all seasons [Irving and Karp 1995]. 44