Alien Population of Common Carp Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) from a Reservoir in the Pechora River Basin

This publication presents a morphobiological description of the northernmost local population of common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758 for the first time. This is one of the world’s most famous alien fish species, which was recently discovered in a cooling pond (65° N, 58° E) in the middle stream of the Pechora River. The paper shows that of seven alien fish species that inhabited the reservoir, only common carp and bleak Alburnus alburnus (Linnnaeus, 1758) formed stable breeding groups. The common carp population consists of three forms differing in the character of scale cover, among which the full scaly form dominates (about 90% of catches). The linear growth rate of the scaly form is low. The weight growth rate can be assessed as minimal. The indicators of fluctuating asymmetry and morphological diversity in fish of the second and fourth years of life did not differ, which show the stability of early ontogenesis over time. It is concluded that there is no possibility of the existence of its population outside the Pechora Reservoir.