Cyprinidae is a
family of
freshwater fish
Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of s ...
commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the
carps, the true
minnows, and relatives like the
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
* Bar ...
s and
barbel Barbel may refer to:
*Barbel (anatomy), a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish (notably catfish, loaches and cyprinids) and turtles
*Barbel (fish), a common name for certain species of fish
**'' Barbus barbus'', a species of cyprini ...
s. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest
vertebrate animal family in general with about 3,000
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 which only 1,270 remain extant, divided into about 370
genera.
Cyprinids range from about 12 mm in size to the
giant barb (''Catlocarpio siamensis'').
By genus and species count, the family makes up more than two-thirds of the
ostariophysi
Ostariophysi is the second-largest superorder of fish. Members of this superorder are called ostariophysians. This diverse group contains 10,758 species, about 28% of known fish species in the world and 68% of freshwater species, and are present ...
an order
Cypriniformes
Cypriniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches, and relatives. Cypriniformes is an Order within the Superorder Ostariophysi consisting of " Carp-like" Ostariophysins. This order contains 11-12 famil ...
.
[ The family name is derived from the Greek word ( 'carp').
]
Biology and ecology
Cyprinids are stomachless fish with toothless jaws. Even so, food can be effectively chewed by the gill rakers of the specialized last gill bow. These pharyngeal teeth allow the fish to make chewing motions against a chewing plate formed by a bony process of the skull. The pharyngeal teeth are unique to each species and are used by scientists to identify species. Strong pharyngeal teeth allow fish such as 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 ...
and ide to eat hard baits such as snails and bivalves
Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, biv ...
.
Hearing is a well-developed sense in the cyprinids since they have the Weberian organ
The Weberian apparatus is an anatomical structure that connects the swim bladder to the auditory system in fishes belonging to the superorder Ostariophysi. When it is fully developed in adult fish, the elements of the apparatus are sometimes col ...
, three specialized vertebral processes that transfer motion of the gas bladder to the inner ear. The vertebral processes of the Weberian organ also permit a cyprinid to detect changes in motion of the gas bladder due to atmospheric conditions or depth changes. The cyprinids are considered physostome
Physostomes are fishes that have a pneumatic duct connecting the gas bladder to the alimentary canal. This allows the gas bladder to be filled or emptied via the mouth. This not only allows the fish to fill their bladder by gulping air, but also t ...
s because the pneumatic duct is retained in adult stages and the fish are able to gulp air to fill the gas bladder, or they can dispose of excess gas to the gut.
Cyprinids are native to North America, Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, and Eurasia. The largest known cyprinid is the giant barb (''Catlocarpio siamensis''), which may grow up to in length and in weight. Other very large species that can surpass are the golden mahseer
''Tor putitora'', the Putitor mahseer, Himalayan mahseer, or golden mahseer, is an endangered species of cyprinid fish that is found in rapid streams, riverine pools, and lakes in the Himalayan region. Its native range is within the basins of th ...
(''Tor putitora'') and mangar (''Luciobarbus esocinus''). The largest North American species is the Colorado pikeminnow
The Colorado pikeminnow (''Ptychocheilus lucius'', formerly squawfish) is the largest cyprinid fish of North America and one of the largest in the world, with reports of individuals up to 6 ft (1.8 m) long and weighing over 100 po ...
(''Ptychocheilus lucius''), which can reach up to in length. Conversely, many species are smaller than . The smallest known fish is ''Paedocypris progenetica
''Paedocypris progenetica'' is a species of tiny cyprinid fish endemic to the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Bintan where it is found in peat swamps and blackwater streams. It was discovered by Singaporean ichthyologist Heok Hui
Tan. He has ...
'', reaching at the longest.
All fish in this family are egg-layers and most do not guard their eggs; however, a few species build nests and/or guard the eggs. The bitterlings of subfamily Acheilognathinae
The bitterling-like cyprinids form the cyprinid subfamily Acheilognathinae. This subfamily contains four genera, although the Khanka spiny bitterling is often placed in '' Acheilognathus'', and at least 71 described species to date. Over half of ...
are notable for depositing their eggs in bivalve molluscs
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estim ...
, where the young develop until able to fend for themselves.
Cyprinids contain the first and only known example of androgenesis in a vertebrate, in the Squalius alburnoides
''Squalius alburnoides'' is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Portugal and Spain. Its natural habitats are rivers and intermittent rivers. It may be threatened by habitat loss.
This species is a highly peculiar fish in r ...
allopolyploid
Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, where each set contains ...
complex.
Most cyprinids feed mainly on invertebrates
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...
and vegetation, probably due to the lack of teeth and stomach; however, some species, like the asp, are predators that specialize in fish. Many species, such as the ide and the common rudd, prey on small fish when individuals become large enough. Even small species, such as the moderlieschen
''Leucaspius delineatus'', known as the sunbleak, belica or moderlieschen is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is currently the only species included in genus ''Leucaspius'', whereas formerly others were included, which no ...
, are opportunistic predators that will eat larvae of the common frog
The common frog or grass frog (''Rana temporaria''), also known as the European common frog, European common brown frog, European grass frog, European Holarctic true frog, European pond frog or European brown frog, is a semi-aquatic amphibian o ...
in artificial circumstances.
Some cyprinids, such as the grass carp, are specialized herbivores; others, such as the common nase
The common nase (''Chondrostoma nasus'') is a European potamodromous cyprinid fish. It is often simply called the nase, but that can refer to any species of its genus ''Chondrostoma''. Another name is sneep.
Distribution
The nase is found natur ...
, eat algae and biofilm
A biofilm comprises any syntrophic consortium of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy extracellular matrix that is composed of extracellular p ...
s, while others, such as the black carp
The black carp (''Mylopharyngodon piceus'') or Chinese black roach is a species of cyprinid freshwater fish and the sole extant species of the genus '' Mylopharyngodon''. It is native to lakes and rivers in East Asia, ranging from the Amur Basin ...
, specialize in snails, and some, such as the silver carp
The silver carp (''Hypophthalmichthys molitrix'') is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish, a variety of Asian carp native to China and eastern Siberia, from the Amur River drainage in the north to the Xi Jiang River drainage in the south. Alt ...
, are specialized filter feeders
Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...
. For this reason, cyprinids are often introduced as a management tool to control various factors in the aquatic environment, such as aquatic vegetation and diseases transmitted by snails.
Unlike most fish species, cyprinids generally increase in abundance in eutrophic lakes. Here, they contribute towards positive feedback as they are efficient at eating the zooplankton
Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...
that would otherwise graze on the algae, reducing its abundance.
Relationship with humans
Food
Cyprinids are highly important food fish; they are fished and farmed
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
across Eurasia. In land-locked countries in particular, cyprinids are often the major species of fish eaten because they make the largest part of biomass in most water types except for fast-flowing rivers. In Eastern Europe, they are often prepared with traditional methods such as drying and salting. The prevalence of inexpensive frozen fish products made this less important now than it was in earlier times. Nonetheless, in certain places, they remain popular for food, as well as recreational fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit (economics), profit; or subsistence fishing, ...
, for ornamental use, and have been deliberately stocked in ponds and lakes for centuries for this reason.
Sport
Cyprinids are popular for angling especially for match fishing
In Britain and Ireland, coarse fishing (, ) refers to angling for rough fish, which are fish species traditionally considered undesirable as a food or game fish. Freshwater game fish are all salmonids — most particularly salmon, trout and cha ...
(due to their dominance in biomass and numbers) and fishing for common carp because of its size and strength.
As pest control
Several cyprinids have been introduced to waters outside their natural ranges to provide food, sport, or biological control for some pest species. The common carp (''Cyprinus carpio'') and the grass carp (''Ctenopharyngodon idella'') are the most important of these, for example in Florida.
As a pest species
Carp in particular can stir up sediment, reducing the clarity of the water and making plant growth difficult.
In America and Australia, such as the Asian carp in the Mississippi Basin
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
, they have become invasive species that compete with native fishes or disrupt the environment.
''Cyprinus carpio'' is a major pest species in Australia impacting freshwater environments, amenity, and the agricultural economy, devastating biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') le ...
by decimating native fish populations where they first became established as a major pest in the wild in the 1960s. In the major river system of eastern Australia, the Murray-Darling Basin, they constitute 80-90 per cent of fish biomass.
In 2016 the federal government announced A$15.2 million to fund the National Carp Control Plan to investigate using Cyprinid herpesvirus 3
''Cyprinid herpesvirus 3'' (also CyHV-3, koi herpes virus or KHV) is a species of virus causing a viral disease that is very contagious to the common carp ''Cyprinus carpio''.
Pathology
It is most commonly found in ornamental koi, which are oft ...
(carp virus) as a biological control agent while minimising impacts on industry and environment should a carp virus release go ahead. Despite initial, favourable assessment, in 2020 this plan was found to be unlikely to work due to the high fecundity of the fish.
Aquarium fish
Numerous cyprinids have become important in the aquarium and fishpond hobbies, most famously the goldfish, which was bred in China from the Prussian carp
The Prussian carp, silver Prussian carp or Gibel carp (''Carassius gibelio''), is a member of the family Cyprinidae, which includes many other fish, such as the common carp, goldfish, and the smaller minnows. It is a medium-sized cyprinid, and d ...
(''Carassius (auratus) gibelio''). First imported into Europe around 1728, it was much fancied by Chinese nobility as early as 1150AD and after it arrived there in 1502, also in Japan. In the latter country, from the 18th century onwards, the common carp was bred into the ornamental variety known as 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'' kept ...
– or more accurately , as simply means "common carp" in 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 ...
.
Other popular aquarium cyprinids include danionin
The danionins are a group of small, minnow-type fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. Members of this group are mostly in the genera '' Danio'', ''Devario'', and ''Rasbora''._They_are_primarily_native_to_the_s_...''._They_are_primarily_native_ ...
s, rasborines, and true barbs. Larger species are bred by the thousands in outdoor ponds, particularly in Southeast Asia, and trade in these aquarium fishes is of considerable commercial importance. The small rasborines and danionines are perhaps only rivalled by characid
Characidae, the characids or characins is a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the order Characiformes. The name "characins" is the historical one, but scientists today tend to prefer "characids" to reflect their st ...
s and poecilid livebearers in their popularity for community aquaria.
One particular species of these small and undemanding danionines is the zebrafish
The zebrafish (''Danio rerio'') is a freshwater fish belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae) of the order Cypriniformes. Native to South Asia, it is a popular aquarium fish, frequently sold under the trade name zebra danio (and thus often ...
(''Danio rerio''). It has become the standard model species
A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the working ...
for studying developmental genetics of vertebrates, in particular fish.
Threatened families
Habitat destruction and other causes have reduced the wild stocks of several cyprinids to dangerously low levels; some are already entirely extinct. In particular, the cyprinids of the subfamily Leuciscinae from southwestern North America have been hit hard by pollution and unsustainable water use in the early to mid-20th century; most globally extinct cypriniform
Cypriniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches, and relatives. Cypriniformes is an Order within the Superorder Ostariophysi consisting of " Carp-like" Ostariophysins. This order contains 11-12 familie ...
species are in fact leuciscinid cyprinids from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Systematics
The massive diversity of cyprinids has so far made it difficult to resolve their phylogeny in sufficient detail to make assignment to subfamilies more than tentative in many cases. Some distinct lineages obviously exist – for example, the Cultrinae
The Cultrinae are one of at least 13 subfamilies of cyprinid fish. It contains ten genera.
Recognized genera
* '' Anabarilius'' (21 species)
* '' Ancherythroculter'' (5 species)
* '' Chanodichthys'' (5 species)
* '' Culter'' (4 species)
* '' Cu ...
and Leuciscinae, regardless of their exact delimitation, are rather close relatives and stand apart from Cyprininae
The Cyprininae are one of at least 11 subfamilies of cyprinid fish. It contains three genera in its strictest definition but many more are included depending on which authority is defining it, especially if the Labeobarbinae is not considered ...
but the overall systematics and taxonomy of the Cyprinidae remain a subject of considerable debate. A large number of genera are ''incertae sedis
' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertaint ...
'', too equivocal in their traits and/or too little-studied to permit assignment to a particular subfamily with any certainty.
Part of the solution seems that the delicate rasborines are the core group, consisting of minor lineages that have not shifted far from their evolutionary niche, or have coevolved
In biology, coevolution occurs when two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution through the process of natural selection. The term sometimes is used for two traits in the same species affecting each other's evolution, as well ...
for millions of years. These are among the most basal lineages of living cyprinids. Other "rasborines" are apparently distributed across the diverse lineages of the family.
The validity and circumscription of proposed subfamilies like the Labeoninae
Labeoninae is a doubtfully distinct subfamily of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. They inhabit fresh water and the largest species richness is in the region around southern China, but there are also species el ...
or Squaliobarbinae
Squaliobarbinae is a small subfamily of the carp and minnow family, Cyprinidae, which consists of three monotypic genera which have their natural distributions in eastern Asia. Two species, the grass carp (''Ctenopharyngodon idella'') and the bl ...
also remain doubtful, although the latter do appear to correspond to a distinct lineage. The sometimes-seen grouping of the large-headed carp
The bighead carp (''Hypophthalmichthys nobilis'') 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, ...
s ( Hypophthalmichthyinae) with ''Xenocypris
''Xenocypris'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in eastern Asia. There are currently seven species in this genus, one, ''X. yushensis'', being known only from fossils, and one, ''X. yunnanensis'', which is critically endangered or recently exti ...
'', though, seems quite in error. More likely, the latter are part of the Cultrinae.
The entirely paraphyletic "Barbinae" and the disputed Labeoninae might be better treated as part of the Cyprininae, forming a close-knit group whose internal relationships are still little known. The small African "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
* Bar ...
s" do not belong in ''Barbus
''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 Ba ...
'' ''sensu stricto
''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...
'' – indeed, they are as distant from the typical barbel Barbel may refer to:
*Barbel (anatomy), a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish (notably catfish, loaches and cyprinids) and turtles
*Barbel (fish), a common name for certain species of fish
**'' Barbus barbus'', a species of cyprini ...
s and the typical carp
''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 ...
s (''Cyprinus'') as these are from ''Garra
''Garra'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae. These fish are one example of the " log suckers", sucker-mouthed barbs and other cyprinids commonly kept in aquaria to keep down algae. The doctor fish of Anatolia and the Middle East be ...
'' (which is placed in the Labeoninae by most who accept the latter as distinct) and thus might form another as yet unnamed subfamily. However, as noted above, how various minor lineages tie into this has not yet been resolved; therefore, such a radical move, though reasonable, is probably premature.
The tench
The tench or doctor fish (''Tinca tinca'') is a fresh- and brackish-water fish of the order Cypriniformes found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is ...
(''Tinca tinca''), a significant food species farmed in western Eurasia in large numbers, is unusual. It is most often grouped with the Leuciscinae, but even when these were rather loosely circumscribed, it always stood apart. A cladistic
Cladistics (; ) is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is typically shared derived cha ...
analysis of DNA sequence data of the S7 ribosomal protein
A ribosomal protein (r-protein or rProtein) is any of the proteins that, in conjunction with rRNA, make up the ribosomal subunits involved in the cellular process of translation. ''E. coli'', other bacteria and Archaea have a 30S small subunit a ...
intron1 supports the view that it is distinct enough to constitute a monotypic subfamily. It also suggests it may be closer to the small East Asian ''Aphyocypris
''Aphyocypris'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes consisting of eight species, all of which are restricted to East Asia.
Species
There are currently ten recognized species in this genus:
* '' Aphyocypris amnis'' T. Y. Liao, S. O. Kullander & H. ...
'', '' Hemigrammocypris'', and ''Yaoshanicus
''Aphyocypris'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes consisting of eight species, all of which are restricted to East Asia.
Species
There are currently ten recognized species in this genus:
* '' Aphyocypris amnis'' T. Y. Liao, S. O. Kullander & H. ...
''. They would have diverged roughly at the same time from cyprinids of east-central Asia, perhaps as a result of the Alpide orogeny that vastly changed the topography of that region in the late Paleogene, when their divergence presumably occurred.
A DNA-based analysis of these fish places the Rasborinae as the basal lineage with the Cyprininae as a sister clade to the Leuciscinae. The subfamilies Acheilognathinae
The bitterling-like cyprinids form the cyprinid subfamily Acheilognathinae. This subfamily contains four genera, although the Khanka spiny bitterling is often placed in '' Acheilognathus'', and at least 71 described species to date. Over half of ...
, Gobioninae, and Leuciscinae are monophyletic.
Subfamilies and genera
The 5th Edition of Fishes of the World sets out the following subfamilies:
Subfamily
Acheilognathinae
The bitterling-like cyprinids form the cyprinid subfamily Acheilognathinae. This subfamily contains four genera, although the Khanka spiny bitterling is often placed in '' Acheilognathus'', and at least 71 described species to date. Over half of ...
* ''Acanthorhodeus
The Khanka spiny bitterling (''Acanthorhodeus chankaensis'') is a temperate freshwater fish belonging to the Acheilognathinae subfamily of the family Cyprinidae. It originates in the inland rivers in Asia, and is found in China, Korea, and Russ ...
'' (Khanka spiny bitterling)
* ''Acheilognathus
''Acheilognathus'' is a genus of cyprinid fish native to Asia. The name is derived from the Greek ''a'', meaning "without", the Greek ''cheilos'', meaning "lip", and the Greek ''gnathos'', meaning "jaw".
Morphology
Fishes of this genus have l ...
'' (bitterlings)
* ''Rhodeus
''Rhodeus'' is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of 23 species called bitterlings. The scientific name is derived from the Greek word ', meaning "rose". Most species in the genus are restricted to Asia, but two species are found in Europe ( ...
'' (bitterlings)
* '' Tanakia'' (bitterlings)
Subfamily
Alburninae
Alburninae is a small subfamily of the carp and minnow family of ray-finned fish, the Cyprinidae. The genera in this subfamily were previously considered to be part of the Leuciscinae, but if the three Alburninae genera are included in that subfa ...
* ''Alburnoides
''Alburnoides'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes native to Europe and Asia. Many species are known as riffle minnows or spirlins.
Species
There are currently 30 recognized species in this genus:
* '' Alburnoides bipunctatus'' ( Bloch, 1782)
* '' Al ...
''
* ''Alburnus
''Alburnus'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. They are known commonly as bleaks. A group of species in the genus is known as shemayas. The genus occurs in the western Palearctic realm, and the center of diversit ...
'' (bleaks)
* ''Aspiolucius
''Aspiolucius esocinus'' or the pike asp is a species of cyprinid fish native to rivers, such as Amu Darya and Syr Darya, and occasionally lakes in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, where it was a common fish until 1980s. Afte ...
'' (pike asp)
* ''Metzia
''Metzia'' is a genus of cyprinid fish that is found in eastern Asia. The genus is named in honor of the American ichthyologist Charles William Metz of Stanford University.
Species
There are currently 8 recognized species in this genus:
* '' Me ...
''
Subfamily
Barbinae
Barbinae are a subfamily of fish included in the family Cyprinidae. The taxonomy for this group has not been entirely worked out as some genera historically considered within it are still considered incertae sedis with respect to being a member o ...
* ''Acrossocheilus
''Acrossocheilus'' is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae, native to freshwater in China, Taiwan, Laos, and Vietnam. They are fairly small, no more than in standard length.
Species
There are currently 26 recognized species of ...
''
* '' Anchicyclocheilus''
* '' Aulopyge'' (Dalmatian barbelgudgeon)
* ''Balantiocheilos
''Balantiocheilos'' is a small genus of cyprinid fish from southeast Asia. It includes two species.
Species
*'' Balantiocheilos ambusticauda'' H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2007 (Burnt tail fish)
*'' Balantiocheilos melanopterus'' ( Bleeker, 1851) (T ...
''
* ''Barbus
''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 Ba ...
'' (typical barbels and barbs)
* ''Carasobarbus
''Carasobarbus'', the himris, is a small genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae. Its species are found in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds in Western Asia and Northwest Africa. ''C. canis'' can reach in total length, but most other ...
''
* ''Clypeobarbus
''Clypeobarbus'' is a genus of small cyprinid fishes native to Africa. Most species are restricted to the Congo River Basin, but ''C. pleuropholis'' is also found in the Chad Basin, while ''C. bellcrossi'' is from the Zambezi and ''C. hypsolepis' ...
''
* ''Dawkinsia
''Dawkinsia'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes from freshwater in South India and Sri Lanka. It was split off from genus ''Puntius'' in 2012.
Etymology
''Dawkinsia'' is named after the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in recognition of his ...
''
* ''Desmopuntius
''Desmopuntius'' is a genus of small freshwater cyprinids native to Southeast Asia. They were formerly included in ''Puntius''.
Etymology
The name ''Desmopuntius'' is derived from the Greek language δεσμψτης ("desmotes") meaning 'priso ...
''
* ''Diptychus
''Diptychus'' is a genus of cyprinid freshwater fish, consisting of two species found in Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau of China, India, Nepal and Pakistan, ranging west to the Tien Shan Mountains and Central Asia.Li, G.; Y. Tang; R. Zhang; and ...
''
* '' Enteromius''
* '' Haludaria''
* '' Hsianwenia''[
* '']Kalimantania
''Kalimantania lawak'' is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to Indonesia occurring on the islands of Borneo and Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Oce ...
''
* ''Luciobarbus
''Luciobarbus'' is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae. Its members are found in fresh and brackish waters of southern Europe, northern Africa, the wider Near East, the Aral and Caspian Seas, and rivers associated with these. Se ...
''
* ''Mesopotamichthys
The binni (''Mesopotamichthys sharpeyi'') is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to the Tigris–Euphrates Basin in the Middle East. This fish mostly inhabits lakes and marshes, especially in densely vegetated places where it also lays its eggs, b ...
''
* ''Neobarynotus
''Neobarynotus microlepis'' is a species of cyprinid fish found is Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United N ...
''
* ''Oliotius
The checker barb (''Oliotius oligolepis'')Kottelat, M. (2013)The Fishes of the Inland Waters of Southeast Asia: A Catalogue and Core Bibliography of the Fishes Known to Occur in Freshwaters, Mangroves and Estuaries. ''The Raffles Bulletin of Zool ...
'' [
* '']Oreichthys
''Oreichthys'' is a genus of tropical barbs found in Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), northern Malay Peninsula, and the Mekong basin in Laos. They are found in ditches, ponds, streams (both highland and lowland) and canals.Rahman, ...
''
* ''Pethia
''Pethia'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae native to South Asia, East Asia (only Pethia stoliczkana recorded) and Mainland Southeast Asia. Some species are commonly seen in the aquarium trade. The name ''Pethia'' i ...
'' [
* '']Pseudobarbus
''Pseudobarbus'' is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae. The type species is Burchell's redfin (''P. burchelli''). The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek ''pseudes'' ("false") and the Latin word ''barbus'' ("beard", ...
'' (redfins)
* '' Puntigrus'' [
* '']Puntius
''Puntius'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae native to South Asia and Mainland Southeast Asia, as well as Taiwan.
Many species formerly placed in ''Puntius'' have been moved to other genera such as '' Barbodes'', ' ...
'' (spotted barbs)
* ''Sahyadria
''Sahyadria'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes native to India where they are endemic to rivers and streams in the Western Ghats. They were formerly included in ''Puntius''. The largest ''Sahyadria'' measure total length
Fish measurement is the ...
''
* ''Schizopyge
''Schizopyge'' is a genus of cyprinid freshwater fish found in Pakistan and the northwestern part of India. ''Schizopyge'' is closely related to ''Schizothorax
''Schizothorax'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in southern and western China, t ...
'' (snowtrouts)
* ''Schizothorax
''Schizothorax'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in southern and western China, through northern South Asia (Himalaya) and Central Asia, to Iran, with a single species, ''S. prophylax'', in Turkey.Yang, J.; J.X. Yang; and X.Y. Chen (2012). A re ...
'' (snowtrouts)
* ''Sinocyclocheilus
''Sinocyclocheilus'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae endemic to China, where only found in Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan.Ma, L.; and Y.-H. Zhao (2012). Cavefish of China. Pp. 107—125 in: White, W.B.; and D.C. Cuvier, editor ...
'' (golden-line fish)
* '' Striuntius'' [
* '']Systomus
''Systomus'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae native to tropical Asia.Kottelat, M. (2013)The fishes of the inland waters of southeast Asia: A catalogue and core bibliography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters, mangroves and es ...
''
Subfamily
Cultrinae
The Cultrinae are one of at least 13 subfamilies of cyprinid fish. It contains ten genera.
Recognized genera
* '' Anabarilius'' (21 species)
* '' Ancherythroculter'' (5 species)
* '' Chanodichthys'' (5 species)
* '' Culter'' (4 species)
* '' Cu ...
* ''Anabarilius
''Anabarilius'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae, most of them only occurring in China. Many of the species have very restricted geographic range and have been negatively impacted by introduced species, fishing, and habitat ...
''
* ''Chanodichthys
''Chanodichthys'' is a genus of cyprinid freshwater fish, consisting of five species from eastern Asia (China, Mongolia, Russia and Vietnam). The name is derived from the Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greec ...
''
* '' Culter''
* ''Cultrichthys
''Cultrichthys compressocorpus'' is a species of cyprinid
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 ...
''
* '' Hainania''
* ''Hemiculter
''Hemiculter'' is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of eight species native to fresh water of eastern Asia (Siberia to Vietnam). The type species is the sharpbelly, ''Culter leucisculus''. The name is derived from the Greek word ''hemis'', m ...
'' (sharpbellies)
* ''Ischikauia
''Ischikauia steenackeri'' is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to Lake Biwa in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is borde ...
''
* ''Megalobrama
''Megalobrama'' is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of six species native to fresh water in China and eastern Russia. The name is derived from the Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Sou ...
''
* ''Parabramis
The white Amur bream (''Parabramis pekinensis'') is a species of cyprinid freshwater fish, of the monotypic genus ''Parabramis''. It is native to eastern Asia, where found from the Amur River basin in Russia south to Ningpo and Shanghai in Chin ...
'' (white Amur bream)
* ''Paralaubuca
''Paralaubuca'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern regio ...
''
* ''Pseudohemiculter
''Pseudohemiculter'' is a genus of cyprinid fish occurring in 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 sha ...
''
* ''Pseudolaubuca
''Pseudolaubuca'' is a genus of cyprinid fish from 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 cont ...
''
* ''Sinibrama
''Sinibrama'' is a small genus of cyprinid fishes, the five currently recognized species distributed in south China, Taiwan, Laos, and Vietnam. These are silvery fishes with deep, laterally compressed bodies, large eyes, and terminal mouths. They ...
''
* ''Toxabramis
''Toxabramis'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in 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 c ...
''
Subfamily
Cyprininae
The Cyprininae are one of at least 11 subfamilies of cyprinid fish. It contains three genera in its strictest definition but many more are included depending on which authority is defining it, especially if the Labeobarbinae is not considered ...
* ''Arabibarbus
''Arabibarbus'' is a genus of Cyprinidae. They are medium-small to very large freshwater carps found in the Western Asia.Borkenhagen, K. (2014): A new genus and species of cyprinid fish (Actinopterygii, Cyprinidae) from the Arabian Peninsula, an ...
''
* ''Barboides
''Barboides'' is a genus of very small ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae from freshwater habitats in West and Middle Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to differen ...
''
* ''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 ...
'' (tinfoil barbs)
* ''Capoeta
''Capoeta'', also known as scrapers, is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae found in Western Asia. The distribution extends from Turkey to the Levant, to Transcaucasia, Iraq, Turkmenistan , in Armenia,particularly in lake Sevan and northern ...
'' (khramulyas)
* ''Carassioides
''Carassioides'' is a genus of cyprinid fish that occurs in East and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south ...
''
* ''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. auratus ...
'' (Crucian carps and goldfish)
* ''Cyprinus
''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 ...
'' (typical carps)
* ''Eechathalakenda
The Channa barb (''Eechathalakenda ophicephalus'') (formerly ''Puntius ophicephalus''), is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to India where it occurs in hill streams in forested areas. This species can reach a length of TL. This species is als ...
''
* ''Gymnocypris
''Gymnocypris'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae endemic to China.
Species
There are currently 10 recognized species in this genus:
* '' Gymnocypris chilianensis'' S. C. Li & S. Y. Chang, 1974
* '' Gymnocypris chui'' T. L. Tchang, ...
''
Subfamily Danioninae
* ''Amblypharyngodon
The carplets (''Amblypharyngodon'') are a genus of fishes in the family Cyprinidae. They are up to in total length and inhabit a wide range of slow-moving or stagnant freshwater habitats in South and Mainland Southeast Asia.
Species
There are 5 ...
'' (carplets)
* ''Aspidoparia
''Aspidoparia'' is a small genus of cyprinid fishes that are found in South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afg ...
''
* '' Barilius''
* ''Betadevario
''Betadevario ramachandrani'' is a species of cyprinid fish that is found only in the upper Seetha River drainage in Karnataka, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larg ...
''
* '' Boraras'' (rasboras)
* '' Cabdio''
* ''Chelaethiops
''Chelaethiops'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in lakes and rivers of Africa. While commonly called "sardines", they are not related to the true sardines of the family Clupeidae. There are currently five recognized species in this genus.
...
''
* '' Chela''
* ''Danio
''Danio'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae found in South and Southeast Asia, commonly kept in aquaria. They are generally characterised by a pattern of horizontal stripes, rows of spots or vertical bars. Some species ...
'' (danios)
* ''Danionella
''Danionella'' is a genus of danionin fish found in freshwater habitats in Myanmar and West Bengal, India. It includes some of the smallest fishes.
Distribution
Four out of Five Described species of ''Danionella'' are found in Myanmar. ''D. tra ...
''
* ''Devario
''Devario'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae native to the rivers and streams of South and Southeast Asia. These fishes have short barbels and many species having vertical or horizontal stripes. These species consume various small ...
''
* ''Esomus
''Esomus'', or flying barbs, are freshwater fish native to South and Mainland Southeast Asia. They are closely related to the genus ''Danio'' and are distinctive for their extremely long barbels.
Species
* '' Esomus ahli'' Hora & Mukerji, 19 ...
'' (flying barbs)
* ''Engraulicypris
''Engraulicypris'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae endemic to Africa. In a study of mitochondrial genealogy, the species formerly included in ''Mesobola'' are not phylogenetically separated from ''Engraulicypris'' and therefore shoul ...
''
* '' Fangfangia''
* ''Horadandia
''Horadandia'' is a small genus of cyprinid fish from South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Banglade ...
''
* '' Inlecypris''
* ''Laubuka
''Laubuka'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in South and Southeast Asia.
Species
There are currently 14 recognized species in this genus:
* '' Laubuka brahmaputraensis'' Kulabtong, Suksri & Nonpayom, 2012 Kulabtong, S., Suksri, S. & Nonpayo ...
''
* '' Leptocypris''
* '' Luciosoma''
* ''Malayochela
''Malayochela maassi'' Is a species of cyprinid fish found in Indonesia, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by ...
''
* ''Microdevario
''Microdevario'' is a small genus of danionin cyprinids. It was recently described to include species previously in the genus '' Microrasbora''. 2009. Molecular phylogenetic interrelationships of the south Asian cyprinid genera ''Danio'', ''Deva ...
''
* ''Microrasbora
''Microrasbora'' is a genus of small fishes. The generic name means "small Rasbora", however these are more closely related to the danios than rasboras. They inhabit freshwater in Myanmar and Yunnan, China.
Taxonomy
''Microrasbora'', until rec ...
''
* ''Nematabramis
''Nematabramis'' is a genus of cyprinid freshwater fish that occur in Borneo and the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, R ...
''
* ''Neobola
''Neobola'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes found mostly in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regio ...
''
* ''Opsaridium
''Opsaridium'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Africa. Currently, 12 species are in this genus.
Species
* '' Opsaridium boweni'' ( Fowler, 1930)
* '' Opsaridium engrauloides'' ( Nichols, 1923)
* '' Opsaridium leleupi'' ( Matthes, 1965)
...
''
* ''Opsarius Species
* '' Opsarius barna'' ( F. Hamilton, 1822) (''Barilius barna'')
* '' Opsarius barnoides'' Decio Vinciguerra, 1890
* '' Opsarius bernatziki'' Koumans, 1937
* '' Opsarius cocsa'' ( F. Hamilton, 1822)
* '' Opsarius koratensis'' ( H. M. Smith, ...
''
* ''Paedocypris
''Paedocypris'' is a genus of tiny cyprinid fish found in swamps and streams on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Bintan.
''Paedocypris progenetica'' has been claimed to be the one of smallest known species of fish in the world ...
''
* ''Pectenocypris
''Pectenocypris'' is a genus of small fish in the family Cyprinidae endemic to freshwater habitats in Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the ...
''
* ''Raiamas
''Raiamas'' is a genus of cyprinid freshwater fishes. The majority of the species are from Africa, but ''R. bola'' and ''R. guttatus '' are from South and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and ...
''
* ''Rasbora
''Rasbora'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae. They are native to freshwater habitats in South and akistan s_...
''
*_''Rasboroides.html" ;"title="outheast Asia, as well as southeast China. A single species, ''R. gerlachi'', is only known from an old Zoological specimen">s ...
''
* ''Rasboroides">outheast Asia, as well as southeast China. A single species, ''R. gerlachi'', is only known from an old Zoological specimen">s ...