Body shape: The female fish is short and round, while the male fish is relatively slender; during the breeding period, the gill cover: the female fish’s pectoral fin is short and round, pear-shaped, the handle end is forward, and the pectoral fin is slightly convex outward, and it swims Slower and unresponsive. The gill cover of the male fish has scattered protruding points, the pectoral fins are longer and the tail end is pointed, and the fish swims actively;

Abdomen: The abdomen of the female fish is soft, and the abdomen is enlarged and rounded during the breeding period. The male fish has a harder abdomen with obvious hard edges. When the gonads are mature, if milky white semen flows out when the abdomen is gently pressed, it is a male fish; if the abdomen is very soft, large and round, it is a female fish.

(The top is a male fish, the bottom is a female fish)

Extended information:

Grass carp is a typical herbivorous fish that inhabits rivers in plain areas. Lakes generally like to live in the middle and lower layers of water and near shore areas with many aquatic plants. They are lively, swim quickly, and often look for food in groups. In the juvenile stage, grass carp eats larvae, algae, etc. Grass carp also eats some meat foods, such as earthworms, dragonflies, etc. Overwinter in deep water of main streams or lakes. During the reproductive season, broodstock have the habit of swimming upstream.

Cow carp are generally sexually mature at 4 years of age, with the earliest being 3 years old. Mature females weigh more than 5 kilograms. The breeding season of grass carp is basically the same period as that of silver carp and bighead carp, that is, from April to July. The breeding season differs from north to south in China. It is from April to June in the Yangtze River and slightly later in Northeast China. During the breeding season, pearl stars appear on the pectoral fin rays of the parent fish, and they feel rough when touched by hand. Grass carp eggs are larger in diameter, about 5 mm, and are floating eggs.

The spawning sites of grass carp are generally chosen at the confluence of rivers in the main rivers, deep groove waters on one side of the river meanders, and river sections where both sides of the river suddenly tighten. Grass carp can lay 300,000 to 1.38 million eggs at a time. After the fertilized egg swells due to water absorption, the egg diameter can reach about 5 mm and can float along the water.