Black Cupid: features of catching

The black cupid is the only species of the same name, belonging to the family of carp. In Russia, it is considered to be a rare species that is on the verge of extinction, but in China it is very widespread and is an object of valuable fishing.

Description of the species

This is a fairly large fish, whose growth reaches 1 m, and the weight can be 30-35 kg. Outwardly it resembles a white cupid, although it is difficult to confuse them because of their color. After all, the black cupid has a color corresponding to its name, and only a small part of the abdomen is very light. Fins are also dark in color. The elongated body is covered by large scales. Head of small size. Pharyngeal teeth, which have a well developed chewing surface, are large and massive.

He grows relatively quickly. By the beginning of the second year of life, its growth may be already 10 cm or more, and after 7-9 years it becomes sexually mature, reaching a length of 70-80 cm.

Spread

Massively it is common in the reservoirs of China. On the territory of Russia it can be found in the basin of the Amur River, namely from the mouth of the Sungari to the estuary, and also in the Ussuri River.

In the 50s of the last century, this fish was brought to some rivers of Ukraine, the North Caucasus and Central Asian republics.

Habitat

As a rule, a black cupid (a photo of a fish can be seen in the article) is a lover of fresh water bodies, but sometimes it can be found in salt water. He prefers the channels with unhurried flow of water, being near the places with a large concentration of mollusks. After all, this is his main food. Thanks to the powerful pharyngeal teeth, it easily shreds the shells. Also, the fish likes to feast on the larvae of various insects inhabiting ponds and rivers. Do not refuse and from aquatic plants, such as sedges and reeds, eating a day a large amount of food (1.5 - 1.8 kg).

Black Cupid - a lover of a single way of life, therefore, flocks form extremely rare. In the cold season, it moves to riverbeds. By the way, here he spawns. Usually this process takes place in early summer, when the water is already sufficiently heated by the sun's rays. During spawning, the fish is kept almost at the bottom of the reservoir, rarely rising to the surface. Both larvae and caviar are pelagic, and fertility is up to 800 thousand eggs.

Features of catching

Catching a black cupid can be done in several ways. It can be a plug or float rod, as well as a bottom or feeder tackle.

Best of all, the fish bite on an ordinary earthworm. Also as a bait use peas, sweet corn, young cucumbers, bread, pasta, reeds or greens.

For bait, aloe leaves, ovary cucumber, filamentous algae, carp for bark or various dry mixtures are great. Good lure is obtained from such a mixture: ground peas, cake, dill and aniseed oil.

When choosing a tackle, it should be remembered that for this type of fish it requires very strong. The line should be thick (not less than 0.45 mm), as a leash - monofilament. It can be combined with a shock absorber (rubber band). The hook must also be large and durable. It is chosen depending on the estimated size of the fish.

Despite the fact that the meat of the white cupid is considered more valuable, the black cupid is absolutely inferior to it in taste and useful properties of meat. It is no accident that the fish in China annually make up to 30 thousand tons.

In a word, if you decide to go fishing, you will get not only great pleasure from the process itself, but also become the owner of a very tasty and healthy fish.

Now in Russia this rare fish is listed in the Red Book. The conducted researches show that in the near future it can disappear. That is why a program is being developed to acclimatize it in some water bodies in Russia.