Age profile of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) in Lake Crescent, Tasmania

Carp is an exotic, benthivorous fish implicated in degradation of wetlands throughout southeastern mainland Australia. In the present study, the age profile of a stock in Lake Crescent, Tasmania, was determined by length-frequency analysis and inspection of annulus patterns in whole and sectioned otoliths. Marginal increment analysis was attempted to validate age assessments for fish captured in 1995 and 1996. The available samples limited formal validation to age group III+, but it is clear that the January 1993 year-class was dominant among other fish of 1-6 years of age. Future monitoring should include monthly observations of age structure, reproduction and recruitment.