thanks I'll tell my buddy.
here's a pic of a 90 pound mirror. they get big alright it's the world record for any common. or at least it was on 4-9-09
That fish looks more like a leather carp but the scales are in the wrong place, near the caudal fin and not the dorsal fin...
I did a little research on the mirror carp versus common carp to refresh my memory why their growth rates are different. The difference between mirror and common carp is both genetic and visual, biologically they are similar. The mirror carp was the first mutation of common carp, owing to two alternative genes, the S allele and the N allele. The genetic term for a mirror carp is "ssnn" (all minor). This lack of scales is widely believed to have been bred in by monks in order to make the fish easier to prepare for the table. This genetic difference also causes reduced numbers of red blood cells, slowing growth rates in the fish.
Contrary to popular belief, Leather carp are not Mirror carp without scales; there is a distinct genetic difference. Leather carp are permitted a few scales; however, the dorsal row of scales is either absent or incomplete. Leathers also have reduced numbers of red blood cells, slowing growth rates as well.
So the fact that the world record carp is a mirror carp is all the more impressive!
