Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of Africa, Australia and most of the United States.
The Eurasian carp or European carp, widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The native wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered a destructive invasive species, being included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive species. It gives its name to the carp family, Cyprinidae.
Cyprinus is the genus of typical carps in family Cyprinidae. Most species in the genus are of East Asia origin with only the common carp in Western Asia and Europe; this invasive species has also been introduced to many other regions around the world. Cyprinus are closely related to some more barb-like genera, such as Cyclocheilichthys and Barbonymus (tinfoils). The crucian carps (Carassius) of western Eurasia, which include the goldfish, are apparently not as closely related.
Dianchi Lake, also known as Lake Dian and Kunming Lake, is a large lake located on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau close to Kunming, Yunnan, China. Its nickname is the "Sparkling Pearl Embedded in a Highland" and it was the model for the Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace in Beijing. Its name is the source of Yunnan's Chinese abbreviation 滇.
Yilong Lake is a large freshwater lake located in Shiping County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan province, southwestern China. The lake has a surface area of approximately 32 square kilometres (12 sq mi) and is particularly notable for its scenery, including the colorful lotus flowers that bloom on its surface. It is located about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of the county seat. The people who live in the vicinity of the lake are largely of the Yi ethnic group. As of the spring of 2013 a severe drought had resulted in substantial lowering of the water level.
Cyprinus micristius, the Dianchi carp, is a critically endangered species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Lake Dianchi and its tributaries in Yunnan, China. The nominate subspecies from the lake itself has not been confirmed since the 1960s.
Fuxian Lake stretches out through Chengjiang, Jiangchuan and Huaning Counties in Yunnan Province, spanning an area of 212 square kilometers. The lake is ranked third-largest in Yunnan, after Dian Lake and Erhai Lake. Also the deepest lake in Yunnan, it is 155 meters deep at its greatest depth. It is also the third-deepest fresh water lake in China, after Tianchi and Kanas Lake.
Anabarilius macrolepis is an extinct species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae that was endemic to Yilong Lake in Yunnan, China. It is believed that it became extinct when Yilong Lake dried up in 1981, as a result of water abstraction for agriculture. The species was not observed in 1983–84, and was declared extinct in 2011.
Cyprinus barbatus is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyprinus. It is endemic to Lake Erhai in Dali, Yunnan, China. It is negatively impacted by agricultural and domestic pollution and introduced species. The IUCN considers it as critically endangered and possibly extinct, but records as recent as the 2000s (decade) show that it likely does survive.
Cyprinus chilia is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyprinus from several lakes in the Yunnan plateau of China.
Cyprinus dai is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyprinus from the Black River basin in northern Vietnam.
Cyprinus fuxianensis is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyprinus. The species is only known from Fuxian Lake in Yunnan. It has been impacted by habitat degradation, overfishing, and introduced species. It has declined by over 80% in the past 21 years. It was not recorded in a survey in 1995; IUCN considers it as Critically Endangered and possibly extinct.
Cyprinus ilishaestomus is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyprinus. Critically endangered, it inhabits Qiluhu Lake, Yunnan, China.
Cyprinus intha is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyprinus. The species is endemic to Inle Lake, a large, isolated freshwater lake on the Shan Plateau in eastern Myanmar. It is considered to be endangered, among other reasons, because of widespread hybridization with introduced Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio.
Cyprinus longzhouensis is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyprinus. It is only known from the upper Zuo River basin in Guangxi, China, but may occur in associated drainages in northern Vietnam.
Cyprinus multitaeniatus is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyprinus from the Xi River basin in China and Gâm River basin in Vietnam.
Cyprinus qionghaiensis is a critically endangered species of fish in the genus Cyprinus from Qiong Lake in Yunnan, China.
Cyprinus yunnanensis is a critically endangered species of cyprinid fish in the genus Cyprinus from Qilu Lake in Yunnan, China. Despite surveys of the lake it has not been seen since the 1970s and it is possibly extinct. It reaches up to about 20 cm (8 in) in length.
Caridina yilong is a species of freshwater shrimp in the family Atyidae. C. yilong was described from Lake Yilong in Yunnan, China, and was believed to be endemic to the margins of the lake among fringing vegetation. Only the type series has ever been collected, and the type locality of Lake Yilong has since dried up for extended periods of time due to the abstraction of water. Organic pollution caused by sedimentation along with agricultural and industrial pollution have caused this species to be assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, with the caveat possibly extinct. In addition, two species of fish, Anabarilius macrolepis and Cyprinus yilongensis, that also were endemic to the lake are now extinct.
