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EveryFish

Carps and minnows

Rohu, catla, mrigal, mahseer, koi, goldfish and barbs. 59 fish on EveryFish so far.

Carps and minnows belong to the order Cypriniformes, which with more than 4,000 species is the largest group of freshwater fish. They have no teeth in their jaws, grinding food with throat teeth instead, and many have barbels and a link between the swim bladder and the ear that gives them keen hearing. The group runs from tiny danios and rasboras to the mahseer and the big carps of Asian rivers.

The world's most farmed fish

Carps are the backbone of fish farming. Grass carp, silver carp, common carp and bighead carp are among the most farmed fish on Earth by weight, mainly in China. In India and Bangladesh the Indian major carps, catla, rohu and mrigal, are raised together in ponds in composite fish culture, with each species feeding at a different depth. Carps are central to Bengali, Odia and Assamese cooking, where rohu is the everyday fish and a fish of ceremony.

Goldfish, koi and mahseer

Goldfish were bred in China from a wild carp more than a thousand years ago, and koi were bred from the common carp in Japan from the 19th century. The zebrafish, a small danio of South Asian rivers, is one of the most studied animals in biology. In the wild, the mahseers of the Himalaya and the Western Ghats are prized by anglers and revered at temple pools, but several are endangered by dams, pollution and overfishing. The common carp, in turn, is invasive in Australia and North America.

Famous carp fish

RohuThe best-loved fish of BengalGolden mahseerThe golden mahseer of Himalayan riversGoldfishDomesticated in ChinaZebrafishA model animal in laboratories worldwide

Still to be written: Catla, Cirrhinus mrigala, Common carp, Grass carp.

Further reading

WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
UseFood fishFarmedAquarium fishSport fishingCulture and faithVenomous or dangerousInvasiveScience and research
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreRohu A large silver carp from South Asian rivers, farmed for food and prized as a game fish.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreShabout A large freshwater carp native to the Tigris-Euphrates basin in Western Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇰🇪 Kenya and 4 moreRipon barbel A large freshwater cyprinid from East African lakes and rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1900 🇷🇺 RussiaCaspian roach A brackish water fish from the Caspian Sea region, widely consumed as a dried snack.Carp · Estuaries and mangroves 🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreSiamese mud carp Freshwater cyprinid native to Mekong and Chao Phraya riversCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreLake chub A small cold-water minnow native to Canada and the northern US.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇯🇵 JapanNigorobuna Wild carp from Lake Biwa used for fermented sushi.Carp · Rivers and lakes WorldMinnow Small freshwater fish from the Cyprinidae family used as bait and food.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇲🇲 Myanmar and 1 moreCelestial pearl danio A tiny, brightly coloured freshwater fish from Myanmar and Thailand, popular in the aquarium trade.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 2006 🇮🇷 Iran and 3 moreMangar Large cyprinid fish of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1843 🇨🇳 ChinaPrzewalskii's naked carp Endemic cyprinid of China's Qinghai Lake basinCarp · Rivers and lakes Caspian kutum 🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreCaspian kutum A prized ray-finned fish from the Caspian Sea.Carp · Estuaries and mangroves · 1901 🇮🇶 IraqBinni A plant-eating barbel from the Tigris and Euphrates marshes.Carp · Rivers and lakes EuropeCommon nase A migratory European cyprinid with orange tail fins.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreBarbel Carp-like freshwater fish with distinctive mouth barbelsCarp · Rivers and lakes EuropeAsp A predatory freshwater fish native to Europe and western Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreFathead minnow Small North American freshwater fish used as bait and in toxicity studies.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreGolden shiner A North American minnow used widely as bait and in pond culture.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreColorado pikeminnow A large native river fish of the Colorado Basin, once abundant but now critically endangered.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇫🇷 FranceCommon bleak A small, silvery freshwater fish found across Europe and Western Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇰🇭 Cambodia and 2 moreGiant barb The largest cyprinid fish, native to major river basins in Southeast Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreEmpurau A large Southeast Asian river fish prized for its high market value.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreTinfoil barb A large Southeast Asian freshwater fish known for its red fins and silvery body.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1853 🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreHampala barb Large predatory cyprinid from Southeast Asian rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreJava barb A silvery freshwater fish farmed across Southeast Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreJullien's golden carp Endangered Southeast Asian river fish with five stripesCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 ChinaGoldfish A domesticated freshwater carp from China, kept worldwide as a pet and aquarium fish.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreBlack carp A large freshwater fish native to East Asia, known for eating snails and causing ecological issues in the US.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreMud carp Freshwater fish farmed in Asia since the Tang dynastyCarp · Rivers and lakes WorldTench Slippery freshwater fish with olive-green skin and red eyes.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇦🇺 AustraliaCommon roach A widespread European freshwater fish with red fins.Carp · Rivers and lakes

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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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