''Cyprinus'' is the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of typical carps in family
Cyprinidae
Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest v ...
. Most species in the genus are of East Asia origin with only the
common carp
The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...
(''C. carpio'') in Western Asia and Europe; this
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...
has also been
introduced to many other regions around the world. ''Cyprinus'' are closely related to some more
barb
Barb or the BARBs or ''variation'' may refer to:
People
* Barb (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
* Barb, a term used by fans of Nicki Minaj to refer to themselves
* The Barbs, a band
Places
* Barb, ...
-like genera, such as ''
Cyclocheilichthys
''Cyclocheilichthys'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae containing approximately eight valid species. They are native to freshwater habitats in Southeast Asia and China. Two additional species are alternately placed in the g ...
'' and ''
Barbonymus
''Barbonymus'' is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae, containing some barb species. The genus was only established in 1999, with the tinfoil barb (''B. schwanenfeldii'') as type species; thus, these fish are sometimes collectively ...
'' (tinfoils). The crucian carps (''
Carassius
''Carassius ''is a genus in the ray-finned fish family Cyprinidae. Most species in this genus are commonly known as crucian carps, though this term often specifically refers to '' C. carassius''. The most well known is the goldfish (''C. auratu ...
'') of western
Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelag ...
, which include the
goldfish
The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have b ...
(''C. auratus''), are apparently not as closely related.
This genus's most widespread and well-known member is the common carp (''C. carpio'')
species complex
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
. Although traditionally considered a single species, recent authorities have split the European and West Asian populations from the East Asian, with the latter named ''
C. rubrofuscus'' (
syn.
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...
''C. carpio haematopterus''). Members of the species complex are famed as a
food fish
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inges ...
and have been widely traded and introduced since
antiquity
Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to:
Historical objects or periods Artifacts
*Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures
Eras
Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...
, but in certain areas has multiplied inordinately and become a
pest
Pest or The Pest may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns
** Weed, a plant considered undesirable
* Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection
** ...
. In its long use it has been
domesticated
Domestication is a sustained multi-generational relationship in which humans assume a significant degree of control over the reproduction and care of another group of organisms to secure a more predictable supply of resources from that group. A ...
, and a number of
breeds have been developed for food and other purposes. The
koi
or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp ('' Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens.
Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' k ...
(from
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
''nishikigoi'', 錦鯉) are well-known carp breeds,
selectively bred
Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant ma ...
for being enjoyed by spectators from above. Strictly speaking, ''koi'' is simply the Japanese name of the East Asian carp.
The other
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of typical carp are generally found in more restricted areas of eastern
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...
, centered on the
Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...
region. In some cases, they are
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to a single
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...
, most notably
Lake Erhai
Erhai or Er Lake (), is an alpine fault lake in Yunnan province, China. Erhai was also known as Yeyuze () or Kunming Lake () in ancient times.
Etymology
The character "洱" (er) does not have the same meaning as ear (耳). During the Han to T ...
, as well as
Lake Dian
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 Kun ...
,
Fuxian Lake
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 lak ...
,
Lake Jilu
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
,
Lake Qilihu,
Lake Xingyun
Xingyun Lake () also known as Jiangchuan Sea (), is a plateau lake in Yunnan Province, China. The Xingyun Lake and the Fuxian Lake are separated by a mountain and linked by a river. The lake has a total area of about 34.71 square kilometers. The a ...
and
Lake Yi-Lung
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 and is particularly notable for its scenery, including the colorful lotus flo ...
, which are all in Yunnan proper. Several of these species are seriously threatened and five are possibly already
extinct: ''
C. yilongensis'' (Lake Yi-Lung), ''
C. yunnanensis'' (Lake Qilihu), ''
C. daliensis'' (Lake Erhai), ''
C. megalophthalmus'' (Lake Erhai) and ''
C. fuxianensis'' (Fuxian Lake).
[Wang, Wang, Li, Du, Yang, Lassoie, and Hassan (2013). ''Six decades of changes in vascular hydrophyte and fish species in three plateau lakes in Yunnan, China.'' Biodivers. Conserv. 22: 3197–3221. doi: 10.1007/s10531-013-0579-0]
Species

The following species are currently recognized in the genus.
* ''
Cyprinus acutidorsalis
''Cyprinus acutidorsalis'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Cyprinus'' found in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a popu ...
''
H. L. Chen & H. Q. Huang, 1977
* ''
Cyprinus barbatus
''Cyprinus barbatus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Cyprinus''. It is endemic to Lake Erhai in Dali, Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans ...
''
H. L. Chen & H. Q. Huang, 1977
* ''
Cyprinus carpio
The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...
''
Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...
, 1758
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoological ...

* ''
Cyprinus chilia
''Cyprinus chilia'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Cyprinus'' from several lakes in the Yunnan plateau of China.
References
Cyprinus
Fish described in 1963
{{Cyprininae-stub ...
''
H. W. Wu, G. R. Yang, P. Q. Yue & H. J. Huang, 1963
* ''
Cyprinus dai
''Cyprinus dai'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Cyprinus'' from the Black River basin in northern Vietnam.
References
Cyprinus
Fish described in 1969
{{Cyprininae-stub ...
''
( V. H. Nguyễn & L. H. Doan, 1969)
* ''
Cyprinus daliensis
''Cyprinus daliensis'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Cyprinus''. It is endemic to Lake Erhai in Dali, Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans ap ...
''
H. L. Chen & H. Q. Huang, 1977
* ''
Cyprinus exophthalmus
''Cyprinus exophthalmus'' is a species of ray-finned fish
Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species.
The ray-finned fishes are so called ...
''
Đ. Y. Mai, 1978
* ''
Cyprinus fuxianensis
''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
An introduced species, ...
''
Yang et al., 1977
* ''
Cyprinus hieni
''Cyprinus hieni'' is a species of ray-finned fish
Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species.
The ray-finned fishes are so called becaus ...
''
T. T. Nguyen & A. T. Ho, 2003
* ''
Cyprinus hyperdorsalis
''Cyprinus hyperdorsalis'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Cyprinus'' from the Black River basin in northern Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a ...
''
V. H. Nguyễn, 1991
* ''
Cyprinus ilishaestomus
''Cyprinus ilishaestomus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Cyprinus''. Critically endangered, it inhabits Qilu Lake, Yunnan, China.
References
*
Cyprinus
Fish described in 1977
{{Cyprininae-stub ...
''
H. L. Chen & H. Q. Huang, 1977
* ''
Cyprinus intha
''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, b ...
''
Annandale
Annandale is a name for several places around the world:
United Kingdom
*Annandale, Dumfries and Galloway, a strath in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland Australia
*Annandale, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
*Annandale, Queensland, a suburb of ...
, 1918
* ''
Cyprinus longipectoralis
''Cyprinus longipectoralis'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Cyprinus''. It is endemic to Lake Erhai in Dali, Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province s ...
''
H. L. Chen & H. Q. Huang, 1977
* ''
Cyprinus longzhouensis
''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
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, ...
''
Y. J. Yang & H. Q. Huang, 1977
* ''
Cyprinus megalophthalmus
''Cyprinus megalophthalmus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Cyprinus'' that is endemic to Lake Erhai
Erhai or Er Lake (), is an Alpine climate, alpine fault lake in Yunnan province, China. Erhai was also known as Yeyuze () or ...
''
H. W. Wu et al., 1963
* ''
Cyprinus melanes
''Cyprinus melanes'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Cyprinus'' from the Kiến Giang River basin in Vietnam.
References
*
Cyprinus
Fish described in 1978
{{Cyprininae-stub ...
''
( Đ. Y. Mai, 1978)
* ''
Cyprinus micristius
''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
In biological class ...
''
Regan
The family name Regan, along with its cognates O'Regan, O Regan, Reagan, and O'Reagan, is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin or Ó Ríogáin, from Ua Riagáin. The meaning is likely to have originated in ancient Gaelic ''ri' ...
, 1906
* ''
Cyprinus multitaeniatus
''Cyprinus multitaeniatus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Cyprinus'' from the Xi River basin in China and Gâm River The Gâm River ( vi, Sông Gâm, , Bainan he) is a river which derived from the Guangxi, China.
The river e ...
''
Pellegrin & Chevey, 1936
* ''
Cyprinus pellegrini
''Cyprinus pellegrini'' is a species of cyprinid fish in the genus ''Cyprinus'' that is endemic to Yunnan, China. It is found in Xingyun Lake.
See also
* List of endangered and protected species of China
The endangered species of China may in ...
''
T. L. Tchang, 1933
* ''
Cyprinus qionghaiensis
''Cyprinus qionghaiensis'' is a critically endangered species of fish in the genus '' Cyprinus'' from Qiong Lake in Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republi ...
''
C. H. Liu, 1981
* ''
Cyprinus quidatensis
''Cyprinus quidatensis'' is a species of ray-finned fish
Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species.
The ray-finned fishes are so called ...
''
T. T. Nguyen, V. T. Le, T. B. Le & X. K. Nguyễn, 1999
* ''
Cyprinus rubrofuscus
''Cyprinus rubrofuscus'', the Amur carp, is a species of cyprinid fish, and is the wild form of the well-known koi. It is widespread in the fresh waters of eastern Asia, native to China, Vietnam and Laos from the Amur to Red River basins, a ...
''
Lacépède Lacepede can refer to:
* Bernard Germain de Lacépède (1756–1825), French naturalist and politician.
* Lacepede Bay, a bay in South Australia.
* Lacépède, Lot-et-Garonne, a ''commune'' in France
* Lacepede Islands, a group of four islands in ...
, 1803 
*
†
A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species). It is one of the modern descendan ...
''
Cyprinus yilongensis
''Cyprinus yilongensis'' is an extinct species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae.
It was found only in Yilong Lake, Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province ...
''
Yang et al., 1977
* ''
Cyprinus yunnanensis
''Cyprinus yunnanensis'' is a critically endangered species of cyprinid fish in the genus ''Cyprinus'' from Qilu Lake in Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans ...
''
T. L. Tchang, 1933
Fossil species
*
†
A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species). It is one of the modern descendan ...
''
Cyprinus priscus
''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 (''C. carpio'') in Western Asia and Europe; this invasive species has also been introduced to many othe ...
''
von Meyer (fossil species from Miocene Germany)
Footnotes
References
* (2007): Evolutionary origin of Lake Tana's (Ethiopia) small ''Barbus'' species: indications of rapid ecological divergence and speciation. ''
Anim. Biol.'' 57(1): 39-48.
(HTML abstract)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134653
Cyprininae
Carp
Fauna of Yunnan
Extant Miocene first appearances
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Freshwater fish genera