Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Food Chemical Attractants for Wild Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) under Conditions of Natural Water Body

Abstract

The effectiveness of the food chemosensory attractants for attraction and angling of wild common carp, Cyprinus carpio by the bottom tackle of two types (carp “boil” device and “makushanka” device) was evaluated in the experiments, done in 2018 in the natural waterbody—the Akhtuba River (polygon of 80 × 30 m). There were 6 types of the bait used: sunflower cake, and boils with flavor of “Strawberry,” “Plum,” “Tutti-frutti,” “Sweet corn” and “Mussel.” The wild common carp was attracted to the polygon by dumping into the river the attracting groundbait, combined from sunflower cake, corn, wheat and red clay (ratio 1 : 1 : 1 : 5). In 2–3 days after beginning of the attraction, the number of fish and its daily catch increased sharply and in a week reached the level which stay stable up to the end of experiment, that lasted for 79 days, from June, 19 through September, 5. Total catch was 1048 fish of body weight from 2 to 14 kg, average daily catch was 7.23 ± 2.13 specimens. The catch on the makushanka was stable during the whole time of the experiment and was about 13–15% of the total catch, while the catch on the boils of the different flavor types vary. At the beginning of the experiment the most of wild common carps were landed on the boils having “Mussel” flavor type. Then the catch on this boil type decreased to the middle of July, but the catch on the boil having “Sweet corn” flavor tended to increase up to 70–75% of the total catch on the boils of all types. The maximal catch on the boils with “Sweet corn” flavor correlated with the appearance of many anglers on the river, who used the groundbait with corn for fish attraction. The catch on the boils of fruit and berry flavor vary, but stay relatively low, the minor catch was on the boils with “Strawberry” flavor type. There was no plausible difference in the fish body weight, landed on different baits. The obtained data support the results of other studies showing important role of chemoreception in common carp behavior. We suppose that attraction of the wild common carp to the study polygon was due to the substances released by groundbait and accepted through the olfactory system, while the catch on the particular bait was a function of its smell, taste and textural features. It was found out that effectiveness of the food attractants and flavors can change during relatively short period (summer season), thereafter indicates the plasticity of the fish preferences mediated by chemosensory systems.