Cyprinus
| Typical carps Temporal range: Miocene–Recent, |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Wild-type common carp (C. carpio) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Subfamily: | Cyprininae |
| Genus: |
Cyprinus Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
|
Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
|
|
22 living species
1 probably recently extinct
1 fossil
Cyprinus is the genus of typical carps in family Cyprinidae. They are of East Asian origin and closely related to some more barb-like genera, such as Cyclocheilichthys and the recently established Barbonymus (tinfoils). The crucian carps (Carassius) of western Eurasia, which include the goldfish (C. auratus), are apparently not as closely related.
This genus' most widespread and well-known member is the common carp (C. carpio). It is famed as a food fish and has been widely traded and introduced since antiquity, but in certain areas has multiplied inordinately and become a pest. In its long use it has been domesticated, and a number of breeds have been developed for food and other purposes. The koi (from Japanese nishikigoi, 錦鯉) are well-known common carp breeds, selectively bred for being enjoyed by spectators from above. Strictly speaking, koi is simply the Japanese name of the common carp.
The other species of typical carps are generally found in more restricted areas of eastern Asia, centered on the Yunnan region. In some cases, they are endemic to a single lake, most notably Lake Er, as well as Lake Dian, Lake Jilu Lake Qilihu, Lake Xingyun and Lake Yi-Lung, which are all in Yunnan proper. A species from the last-named, C. yilongensis, was apparently endemic; if so, it is probably now extinct.
...
Wikipedia