Crucian Hybrid Gallery

This looks like a crucian × goldfish hybrid from the lateral line scale count (31),
the overall colour and pale pelvics (photo by David Redwood).

This magnificent fish would be a crucian record at 6lbs 2oz, but scale counts
indicate crucian × goldfish hybrid again

Scale count indicates crucian × goldfish hybrid.n

Martin's hybrid. Scale count indicates crucian × goldfish hybrid.
See Correspondence 2011: 'Martin's hybrid'

This Swedish fish, photo courtesy of Nicka Hellenberg, is not a crucian but a hybrid
between a gibel and a goldfish. You couldn't tell that, though, from the scale counts
or the dorsal fin shape. Nicka's comment about the hybrids in this Swedish lake are
very interesting. He says: "Some examples are very hard to categorize by counting
scales and so on. But the whole picture, so to speak, gives you the feeling that
something is wrong. The head is a bit too 'powerful'. The mouth isn't quite right
either. The pectoral fins are 'too long', the distance between tail and anal fin is too
long as well...and the tail itself is often very big and 'gold-fish shaped'. It's hard to
pinpoint exactly what is wrong.
But the feeling is right away - these can't be true crucians."

A crucian in hand is worth two in the water

This is the 'crucian' that until very recently held the Swedish record. DNA tests have
shown that it is in fact a hybrid like the previous fish, between a crucian and a gibel
carp. A lovely fish, but not a crucian. Difficult, though, isn't it! It's a case where your
instinct tells you that it's not a crucian but it is very difficult to know why.

This splendid fish weighed 8lbs 3oz and the captor was convinced he'd smashed
the crucian record. However, looking at the pale pelvics and pectorals, the slightly
too powerful head, the biggish tail and the 30/31 lat line scale count, would
probably identify it as a crucian × goldfish hybrid since there seem to be no
barbules. It is exceptionally big for such a hybrid, though, and I suppose it could be
a back-cross of some kind - a very grey area indeed. Certainly not a crucian though.

JAA nabbed this 3lb hybrid from a local 'commerical'. Colour is quite wrong,
lateral linescale count of 30/31, probably a goldfish × crucian.

Quite deceptive from a distance, but tiny barbules give it away - a
crucian × carp hybrid or F1. (Photo by David Redwood)

The controversial fish caught by Dave Harpin at Gold Valley.
See correspondence for 2011: "Keith Arthur and that Crucian"

Another big hybrid caught by JAA at 3½lb, the lateral line count
is 29/30, the fork in the tail is clear, another probable goldfish cross.

Crucian Hybrids Gallery