Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family, including the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives the barbs and barbels, among others. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family, and the largest vertebrate animal family overall, with about 3,000 species; only 1,270 of these remain extant, divided into about 200 valid genera. Cyprinids range from about 12 mm (0.5 in) in size to the 3 m (9.8 ft) giant barb. By genus and species count, the family makes up more than two-thirds of the ostariophysian order Cypriniformes. The family name is derived from the Greek word kyprînos.
The term carp is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized quarries and are valued as both food and ornamental fish in many parts of the Old World, they are considered trash fish and invasive pests in many parts of Africa, Australia and most of the United States.
Cypriniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, which includes many families and genera of cyprinid fish, such as barbs, gobies, loaches, botias, and minnows. Cypriniformes is an “order-within-an-order”, placed under the superorder Ostariophysi—which is also made up of cyprinid, ostariophysin fishes. The order contains 11-12 families, over 400 genera, and more than 4,250 named species; new species are regularly described, and new genera are recognized frequently. Cyprinids are most diverse in South and Southeast Asia, but are entirely absent from Australia and South America. At 112 years old, the longest-lived cypriniform fish documented is the bigmouth buffalo.
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.
Barbus is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. The type species of Barbus is the common barbel, first described as Cyprinus barbus and now named Barbus barbus. Barbus is the namesake genus of the subfamily Barbinae, but given their relationships, that taxon is better included in the Cyprininae at least for the largest part.
Catla, also known as the major South Asian carp, is an economically important South Asian freshwater fish in the carp family Cyprinidae. It is native to rivers and lakes in northern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan, but has also been introduced elsewhere in South Asia and is commonly farmed.
The red-tailed black shark, also known as the redtail shark and redtail sharkminnow, is a species of freshwater fish in the carp family, Cyprinidae. Despite its name, it is more closely related to carp. It is endemic to Thailand and currently critically endangered, but common in aquaria, where it is prized for its deep black body and vivid red or vivid orange tail. The red-tailed black sharks seen in the aquarium trade today are all captive bred.
The bighead carp is a species of cyprinid freshwater fish native to East Asia, and is one of several Asian carps introduced into North America. It is one of the most intensively exploited fishes in fish farming, with an annual worldwide production of over three million tonnes in 2013, principally from China. Unlike the omnivorous common carp, bighead carp are primarily filter-feeding algae eaters, preferentially consuming zooplankton but also phytoplankton and detritus.
The giant salmon carp, also termed the Mekong giant salmon carp, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae and the single species in the monotypic genus Aaptosyax. It is endemic to the middle reaches of the Mekong River in northern Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Its population is much reduced (>90%) as a result of overfishing and habitat degradation, and it is now considered Critically Endangered.
The Kuria labeo is a species of fish in the carp family, Cyprinidae. It is native to Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Burma, and it is known from Afghanistan and Nepal.
Labeo porcellus is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. Its common name is the Bombay labeo. It is native to India.
The largescale silver carp is a freshwater fish in the carp family Cyprinidae. It is native to Hainan and Vietnam.
Hypselobarbus carnaticus, also known as the Carnatic carp, is a species of cyprinid fish from the Western Ghats in India where it inhabits riffles and larger pools in rapidly flowing rivers and streams. It prefers to shelter underneath boulders and overhangs. This species can reach a length of 60 centimetres (24 in) TL and has attained a maximum reported weight of 12 kilograms (26 lb). It is a commercially important fish and is also farmed.
Hypsibarbus is a genus of cyprinid fish that is found in freshwater in Mainland Southeast Asia, including the Thai-Malay Peninsula.
Tanichthys thacbaensis is a species of freshwater fish. It is a member of the carp family of order Cypriniformes. It is native to Vietnam.
Henicorhynchus entmema, the notched mud carp or lesser silver mud carp, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to Indochina. It is common in the Mekong and also occurs in the Mae Klong and Chao Phraya basins as well as in the associated lowland areas. It is a keystone species in the Mekong.
Ptychidio jordani, the ratmouth barbel, is a species of freshwater, ray-finned fish from the carp family, Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the Pearl River drainage system, purported records from Taiwan being considered extremely doubtful. It has been a highly sought species for fisheries but the population has declined to such an extent that it is now rarely caught and the damming of its native streams and rivers is now the chief threat to this species. This species is found in fast flowing, clear, streams and rivers flowing over gravel substrates, spawning in rapids. It is a demersal species which feeds on molluscs and algae. It is now a protected species in Yunnan but this little known species requires further research to determine how best to conserve it. It grows to a maximum size of 33 cm (13 in). The specific name jordani was applied by George S. Myers in honor of ichthyologist David Starr Jordan in appreciation of his friendship and kindness to Myers.
Leptobarbus rubripinna, also known as the Sultan barb, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the carp and minnow family, Cyprinidae which occurs in south-east Asia.
The burrhead chub is a freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. It is endemic to the Colorado, Guadalupe, and San Antonio river drainages in Texas. Its preferred habitat is sand and gravel runs of small to large rivers.
Paraspinibarbus macracanthus, the pocket-like lip barbel, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the carp and minnow family, the Cyprinidae. It occurs in the Nam Xam and Nam Ma river basins in Laos, the Red River basin in Vietnam and Yunnan, as well as in most of the coastal drainage basins of northern Vietnam.
