Cyprinid

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Cyprinids
Fossil range: Eocene - Present
A harlequin rasbora
A harlequin rasbora
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Genera

(many, see text)

Cyprinid is the name for any of the freshwater fishes in the minnow or carp family Cyprinidae, which includes such members as carp, goldfish, zebrafish, minnow, and chub. With over 200 genera and over 2,000 species, Cyprinidae is the largest family of freshwater fishes in the world, and may even be the largest family of vertebrates, with the possible exception of Gobiidae (the gobies) (Nelson 1994).

Characteristics

Cyprinidae is almost an exclusively freshwater family of fishes, with brackish water representatives occurring only very rarely. Common names associated with various members of this family include minnow, carp, chub, and shiner.

Cyprinidae is found in North America (from northern Canada to southern Mexico), Africa, and Eurasia (Nelson 1994). Nelson (1994) recognizes 210 genera and about 2010 species in Cyprinidae, with about 1,270 species native in Eurasia, about 475 species in 23 genera in Africa, and about 270 species in 50 genera in North America.

Members of the Cyprinidae are characterized by jaws and palate that are always toothless; pharyngeal teeth in one or two rows, with no more than eight teeth per row; usually thin lips; absence of an adipose fin; an upper jaw usually protrusible; an upper jaw bordered only by premaxilla; and the head almost always scaleless (Nelson 1994). The body typically is elongate, compressed, and fusiform, with a single dorsal ray and a forked caudal fin. While most cyprinids are covered with scales, some lack scales.

The size of cyprinids ranges from the smallest freshwater fish, Danionella tanslucida, in which the longest specimen known is 12 millimeters, to the barbine Catlocarpio siamensis of Thailand, which is known to reach 2.5 meters in length and probably reaches three meters (Nelson 1994). The largest North American species is the Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), which reaches 1.8 meters (5.9 feet).

All fish in this family are egg-layers and the breeding habits of most is one of non-guarding of the eggs; however, there are a few species that build nests and/or guard the eggs.

The earliest cyprinid fossils are from the Eocene form Asia, with the earliest European and North American fossils of Oligocene age (Nelson 1994). If cyprinids originated in Orient, then they may have invaded North America across the Bering land bridge about 32 million years ago while sea levels were lower during the Oligocene (Nelson 1994).

Importance

Cyprinids are important for food, as ornamental and aquarium fish, and for biological research. Particularly widely used species include the common carp and koi (Cyprinus carpio), goldfish (Carassius auratus), and zebra danio or zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio), the latter used extensively in genetic research (Nelson 1994).

Cyprinids are highly important food fish; they are fished and farmed across Eurasia. In land-locked countries in particular, cyprinids are often the major species of fish eaten, although the prevalence of inexpensive frozen fish products has 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, and have been deliberately stocked in ponds and lakes for centuries for this reason (MacMahon 1946).

Several cyprinids have been quite introduced to waters outside their natural range to provide food, sport, or biological control for some pest species. The common carp and the grass carp are the most important of these, for example in Florida.[1][2] In some cases, these have become invasive species that compete with native fishes or disrupt the environment, carp in particular can stir up the riverbed reducing the clarity of the water making it difficult for plants to grow.[3]

Numerous cyprinids have become important in the aquarium hobby, most famously the goldfish, which was first imported into Europe around 1728 but was cultivated by the Chinese well before then.[4] Other popular cyprinids kept in aquarium include the barbs, danios and rasboras.

The zebra danio or zebrafish (Danio rerio) is the standard research animal for studying developmental genetics.[5]

named after the Greek word Kypris, another name for Aphrodite,

Taxonomy

It is the largest family of fresh-water fish, with about 2,420 species of cyprinids in about 220 genera. The family belongs to the order Cypriniformes.

Genera

The bold black text indicates which subfamily the listed genera belong to. There is debate as to how many subfamilies exist in this family and to which subfamily certain genera belong to.

  • Acheilognathinae (bitterling-like cyprinids)
    • Acanthorhodeus (bitterlings)
    • Acheilognathus
    • Rhodeus
    • Tanakia
  • Barbinae
    • Barbus
    • Diptychus
    • Pseudobarbus
    • Puntius (spotted barbs)
    • Schizothorax
    • Sinocyclocheilus
  • Cultrinae
    • Chanodichthys
    • Culter
    • Erythroculter
    • Hemiculter
    • Ischikauia
    • Megalobrama
    • Parabramis
    • Sinibrama
  • Cyprininae
    • Aulopyge
    • Barbodes
    • Barbonymus
    • Carassius (crucian carps)
    • Cyprinus (common carps)
    • Kosswigobarbus
    • Osteobrama
    • Salmostoma
    • Sawbwa
  • Danioninae
    • Celestichthys
    • Chela
    • Danio (Brachydanio is no longer valid)
    • Danionella
    • Devario
    • Esomus
    • Inlecypris
    • Microrasbora
    • Parachela
    • Sundadanio
  • Gobioninae
    • Abbottina
    • Biwia
    • Coreius
    • Gnathopogon
    • Gobio (gudgeons)
    • Gobiobotia
    • Hemibarbus
    • Microphysogobio
    • Pseudogobio
    • Pseudorasbora
    • Pungtungia
    • Rhinogobio
    • Romanogobio
    • Sarcocheilichthys
    • Saurogobio
    • Squalidus
    • Xenophysogobio
  • Labeoninae
    • Hongshuia
    • Labeo
    • Longanalus
    • Osteochilus
    • Parasinilabeo
    • Qianlabeo
  • Leuciscinae
    • Aaptosyax
    • Abramis (breams)
    • Achondrostoma
    • Acrocheilus (chiselmouths)
    • Agosia
    • Alburnoides
    • Alburnus (bleaks)
    • Algansea
    • Anaecypris
    • Aspius
    • Aztecula
    • Blicca
    • Campostoma (stonerollers)
    • Chalcalburnus
    • Chondrostoma (nases)
    • Clinostomus (redside daces)
    • Couesius (lake chubs)
    • Cyprinella (satinfin shiners)
    • Dionda (desert minnows)
    • Distoechodon
    • Elopichthys
    • Eremichthys (desert daces)
    • Ericymba (silverjaw minnows)
    • Erimonax
    • Erimystax (slender chubs)
    • Eupallasella
    • Exoglossum (cutlips minnows)
    • Gila - includes Siphateles (western chubs)
    • Hemitremia (flame chub)
    • Hesperoleucus (California roaches)
    • Hybognathus (silvery minnows)
    • Hybopsis (bigeye chubs)
    • Hypophthalmichthys (bighead carps)
    • Iberochondrostoma
    • Iotichthys
    • Ladigesocypris
    • Lavinia (hitches)
    • Lepidomeda (spinedaces)
    • Leucaspius
    • Leuciscus (European daces)
    • Luciobrama
    • Luciocyprinus
    • Luxilus (highscale shiners)
    • Lythrurus (finescale shiners)
    • Macrhybopsis (blacktail chubs)
    • Margariscus (pearl daces)
    • Meda (spikedaces)
    • Moapa (moapa daces)
    • Mylocheilus (peamouths)
    • Mylopharodon (hardheads)
    • Nocomis (hornyhead chubs)
    • Notemigonus (golden shiners)
    • Notropis (eastern shiners)
    • Ochetobius
    • Opsopoeodus (pugnose minnows)
    • Oregonichthys (Oregon chubs)
    • Oreoleuciscus
    • Orthodon (Sacramento blackfishes)
    • Parachondrostoma
    • Pelecus
    • Phenacobius (suckermouth minnows)
    • Phoxinellus
    • Phoxinus (redbelly daces)
    • Pimephales (bluntnose minnows)
    • Plagopterus (woundfins)
    • Platygobio (flathead chubs)
    • Pogonichthys (splittails)
    • Protochondrostoma
    • Pseudochondrostoma
    • Pseudophoxinus
    • Pteronotropis (flagfin shiners)
    • Ptychocheilus (pikeminnows)
    • Relictus (relict daces)
    • Rhinichthys - includes Tiaroga (riffle daces)
    • Rhynchocypris
    • Richardsonius (redside shiners)
    • Rutilus (roaches)
    • Scardinius (rudds)
    • Semotilus (creek chubs)
    • Snyderichthys (leatherside chub)
    • Tribolodon
    • Tropidophoxinellus
    • Vimba
    • Yuriria
  • Rasborinae
    • Amblypharyngodon
    • Aphyocypris
    • Barilius
    • Opsariichthys
    • Oxygaster
    • Raiamas
    • Rasbora
    • Tanichthys
    • Trigonostigma
    • Zacco
  • Squaliobarbinae
    • Ctenopharyngodon (grass carps)
    • Mylopharyngodon
    • Squaliobarbus
  • Tincinae
    • Tinca
  • Xenocyprinae
    • Aristichthys
    • Hypophthalmichthys
    • Xenocypris
  • Incertae sedis (Unclassified)
    • Acanthalburnus
    • Acanthobrama
    • Acrossocheilus
    • Araiocypris
    • Balantiocheilos
    • Bangana
    • Boraras
    • Capoeta
    • Catlocarpio
    • Cirrhinus
    • Crossocheilus
    • Cyclocheilichthys
    • Cyprinion
    • Discogobio
    • Epalzeorhynchos
    • Garra
    • Gibelion
    • Gobiocypris
    • Gymnocypris
    • Hampala
    • Hemigrammocypris
    • Iberocypris
    • Mystacoleucus
    • Oreinus
    • Pachychilon
    • Paracheilognathus
    • Parasikukia
    • Phreatichthys
    • Poropuntius
    • Pseudobrama
    • Pseudolaubuca
    • Rectoris
    • Rohtee
    • Semilabeo
    • Semiplotus
    • Sikukia
    • Spinibarbichthys
    • Spinibarbus
    • Telestes
    • Tiaroga
    • Tor (mahseers)
    • Varicorhinus
    • Xenocyprioides
    • Yaoshanicus

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0471250317</ref>


  1. Florida's Exotic Freshwater Fishes. State of Florida (2006). Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  2. Florida's Exotic Freshwater Fishes. State of Florida (2006). Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  3. University of Southern Mississippi/College of Marine Sciences/Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (2005-08-03). Fact Sheet for Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758). Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  4. Riehl R. & Baensch H (1996) Aquarium Atlas Volume 1 p. 410. Voyageur Press, ISBN 3-88244-050-3
  5. Helfman G., Collette B., & Facey D. (1997). The Diversity of Fishes p. 228. Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 0-86542-256-7

External links

.[1]

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  1. A. F. Magri MacMahon (1946). Fishlore, pp 149-152. Pelican Books.