The family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Cyprinidae, from the Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...

 kyprînos (κυπρῖνος, "carp"), consists of the carp

Carp

Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...

s, the true minnow

Minnow

Minnow is a general term used to refer to small freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as bait fish or for fishing bait. More specifically, it refers to small freshwater fish of the carp family.-True minnows:...

s, and their relatives (for example, the barbs and barbels). Commonly called the carp family or the minnow family, its members are also known as cyprinids. It is the largest family of fresh-water fish, with over 2,400 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 in about 220 genera

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

. The family belongs to the order Cypriniformes

Cypriniformes

The Cypriniformes are an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches and relatives. This order contains 5-6 families, over 320 genera, and more than 3,250 species, with new species being described every few months or so, and new genera being recognized regularly...

, of whose genera and species the cyprinids make up two-thirds.

Description

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

Pharyngeal teeth

Pharyngeal teeth are teeth in the pharyngeal arch of the throat of cyprinids, suckers, and a number of other fish species lacking teeth.Popular aquarium fish such as goldfish and loaches have these structures. Members of the Botia genus such as clown loaches are known to make distinctive clicking...

 allow the fish to make chewing motions against a chewing plate formed by a procession of the skull. The pharyngheal teeth are species specific and are used by specialists to determine the species. Strong pharyncheal teeth allow fish like the common carp

Common carp

The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...

 and ide to eat hard baits like snails and bivalves.

Hearing is a well-developed sense, since the cyprinds have the Weberian organ, three specialized vertebra processions that transfer motion of the gas bladder

Gas bladder

The swim bladder, gas bladder, fish maw or air bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth without having to waste energy in swimming...

 to the inner ear. This construction is also used to observe motion of the gas bladder due to atmospheric conditions or depth changes. The cyprinids are physostome

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. In contrast, fishes without any connection to their gas bladder are called Physoclisti. The physostome fish encompass the...

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 excess gas to the gut.

The fish in this family are native to North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, and Eurasia

Eurasia

Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...

. The largest cyprinid in this family is the Giant Barb

Giant Barb

The giant barb or Siamese giant carp, Catlocarpio siamensis , is the largest species of carp in the world. These migratory fish are found only in the Mae Klong, Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins...

 (Catlocarpio siamensis), which may grow up to 3 metres (9.8 ft). The largest North American species is the Colorado Pikeminnow

Colorado pikeminnow

The Colorado pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius is the largest cyprinid fish of North America and one of the largest in the world, with reports of individuals up to 6 ft long and weighing over 100 pounds...

 (Ptychocheilus lucius), of which individuals up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long and weighing over 100 pounds (45.4 kg) have been recorded.

On the other hand, many species are smaller than 5 centimetres (2 in). As of 2008, the smallest known freshwater fish is a cypriniform, Danionella translucida

Danionella translucida

Danionella translucida is an extremely small species of cyprinid fish endemic to Myanmar. When described, it was considered to be the smallest freshwater vertebrate. It was collected from the roots of floating aquatic plants in a slow-flowing, shallow stream in the Pegu Division of Myanmar...

, reaching 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in) at the longest. All fish in this family are egg-layers and most do not guard their eggs, however, there are a few species that build nests and/or guard the eggs. The bitterling-like cyprinids (Acheilognathinae) are notable for depositing their eggs in bivalve molluscs, where the young grow up until able to fend for themselves.
Most cyprinids feed mainly on invertebrates and vegetation probably due to the lack of teeth and stomach, but some species like the Asp

Asp (fish)

The Asp is a European freshwater fish of the Cyprinid family. It is protected by the Bern Convention of endangered species and habitats . Asps are also on the IUCN Red List of endangered species....

 specialize in fish. Many species ide, common rudd will eat small fish however when reaching a certain size. Even small species like the moderlieschen

Moderlieschen

The Moderlieschen or Belica is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family. Formerly, its genus Leucaspius included some other species, but these have all been moved to Ladigesocypris or Pseudophoxinus or merged with L...

 eat larvae of the common frog

Common Frog

The Common Frog, Rana temporaria also known as the European Common Frog or European Common Brown Frog is found throughout much of Europe as far north as well north of the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia and as far east as the Urals, except for most of Iberia, southern Italy, and the southern Balkans...

 in artificial circumstances.

Some fishes, such as the grass carp

Grass carp

The grass carp is a herbivorous, freshwater fish species of family Cyprinidae, and the only species of the genus Ctenopharyngodon. It is cultivated in China for food, but was introduced in Europe and the United States for aquatic weed control...

, are specialized in eating vegetation, some, such as the common nase, eat algae from hard surfaces, some, such as the black carp

Black carp

The black carp is a species of cyprinid fish indigenous to China, and widely cultivated for food and Chinese medicine. It is the sole species of the genus Mylopharyngodon. The black carp grows to a length of up to three feet , and over 70 pounds , generally feeding on snails and mussels...

, specialize in snails, and some, such as the silver carp

Silver carp

The silver carp is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish, a variety of Asian carp native to north and northeast Asia. It is cultivated in China....

, are specialized filter feeders. For this reason, they are often introduced as a management tool to control various factors in the aquatic environment, such as aquatic vegetation and diseases transmitted by snails.

Relationship with humans

Cyprinids are highly important food fish; they are fished

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 and farmed

Fish farming

Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...

 across Eurasia

Eurasia

Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...

. In land-locked countries in particular, cyprinids are often the major species of fish eaten because they make the largest part of biomass

Biomass

Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....

 in most water types except for fast flowing rivers. In non-landlocked countries they are not very much appreciated due to the high number of bones. In Eastern Europe they are often prepared with traditional methods like drying and salting. The prevalence of inexpensive frozen

Frozen food

Freezing food preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, farmers, fishermen, and trappers have preserved their game and produce in unheated buildings during the winter season. Freezing food slows down decomposition by turning water to ice, making it...

 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

Angling

Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...

, and have been deliberately stocked in ponds and lakes for centuries for this reason.

Cyprinids are popular for angling especially for match fishing (due to their dominance in biomass and numbers) and fishing for common carp

Common carp

The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...

 because of its size and strength.

Several cyprinids have been introduced to waters outside their natural range to provide food, sport, or biological control for some pest species. The Common Carp

Common carp

The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...

 (Cyprinus carpio) and the Grass Carp

Grass carp

The grass carp is a herbivorous, freshwater fish species of family Cyprinidae, and the only species of the genus Ctenopharyngodon. It is cultivated in China for food, but was introduced in Europe and the United States for aquatic weed control...

 (Ctenopharyngodon idella) are the most important of these, for example in Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. In some cases, these have become invasive species

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

 that compete with native fishes or disrupt the environment. Carp in particular can stir up sediment

Sediment

Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....

, reducing the clarity of the water and making it difficult for plants to grow.

Numerous cyprinids have become important in the aquarium

Fishkeeping

Fishkeeping is a popular hobby concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a fishkeeping industry, as a branch of agriculture.-Types of fishkeeping systems:...

 hobby, most famously the Goldfish

Goldfish

The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....

, which was bred in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 from the Prussian Carp

Prussian carp

The Prussian carp, silver Prussian carp or Gibel carp , is a member of the family Cyprinidae, which includes many other fish, such as the common carp, and the smaller minnows...

 (Carassius (auratus) gibelio). First imported into Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 around 1728, it was much fancied by Chinese nobility as early as 1150 AD and after it arrived there in 1502, also in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. In the latter country, from the 18th century onwards the Common Carp was bred into the ornamental variety known as koi

Koi

or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....

 – or more accurately nishikigoi (錦鯉), as koi (鯉) simply means "Common Carp" in Japanese

Japanese language

is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

.

Other popular aquarium cyprinids include danionin

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 and Devario. They are native to the fresh waters of southeast Asia. Many species are brightly coloured and are available as aquarium fish worldwide...

s, rasborines and true barbs. Larger species are bred by the thousands in outdoor ponds, particularly in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

, and trade in these aquarium fishes is of considerable commercial importance. The small rasborines and danionines are perhaps only rivalled by characids and poecilid livebearers

Poeciliidae

Poeciliidae is a family of fresh-water fish which are live-bearing aquarium fish . They belong to the order Cyprinodontiformes, tooth-carps, and include well-known aquarium fish such as the guppy, molly, platy, and swordtail...

 in their popularity for community aquaria.

One particular species of these small and undemanding danionines is the Zebrafish (Danio rerio). It has become the standard model species for studying developmental genetics of vertebrate

Vertebrate

Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...

s, in particular fish.

Habitat destruction

Habitat destruction

Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...

 and other causes have reduced the wild stocks of several cyprinids to dangerously low levels; some are already entirely extinct. In particular, Leuciscinae

Leuciscinae

Leuciscinae, commonly known as true minnows, are a subfamily of small fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae.However, the term minnow is also used as an unspecific term for tiny freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as fishing bait....

 from southwestern North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 have been hit hard by pollution

Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...

 and unsustainable water use in the early-mid 20th century; most globally extinct Cypriniformes

Cypriniformes

The Cypriniformes are an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches and relatives. This order contains 5-6 families, over 320 genera, and more than 3,250 species, with new species being described every few months or so, and new genera being recognized regularly...

 species are in fact Leuciscinae from the southwestern United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and northern Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

.

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. It is obvious that some distinct lineages exist – for example, Cultrinae

Cultrinae

The Cultrinae are a subfamily of cyprinid fish.-Recognized Genera:* Chanodichthys* Culter* Erythroculter* Hemiculter* Ischikauia* Megalobrama* Parabramis – White Amur Bream* Sinibrama...

 and Leuciscinae

Leuciscinae

Leuciscinae, commonly known as true minnows, are a subfamily of small fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae.However, the term minnow is also used as an unspecific term for tiny freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as fishing bait....

, regardless of their exact delimitation, are rather close relatives and stand apart from Cyprininae –, but the overall systematics

Systematics

Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of terrestrial life, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees...

 and taxonomy

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...

 of the Cyprinidae remain a subject of considerable debate. A large number of genera

Genera

Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...

 are incertae sedis

Incertae sedis

, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...

, 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

Ecological niche

In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...

, or have co-evolved, 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 Labeoninae

Labeoninae

Labeoninae is a doubtfully distinct subfamily of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. They inhabit freshwater and are most abundant in the region around southern China. They are a generally very apomorphic group, perhaps the most "advanced" of the Cyprinidae...

 or Squaliobarbinae also remains doubtful, although the latter do appear to correspond to a distinct lineage. The sometimes-seen grouping of the large-headed carps (Hypophthalmichthyinae) with Xenocypris

Xenocypris

Xenocypris is a genus of cyprinid fish found in eastern Asia. There are currently six species in this genus.-Species:* Xenocypris davidi Bleeker, 1871* Xenocypris fangi T. L. Tchang, 1930* Xenocypris hupeinensis...

, on the other hand, seems quite in error. More likely, the latter are part of the Cultrinae

Cultrinae

The Cultrinae are a subfamily of cyprinid fish.-Recognized Genera:* Chanodichthys* Culter* Erythroculter* Hemiculter* Ischikauia* Megalobrama* Parabramis – White Amur Bream* Sinibrama...

.

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 Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

n "barbs" do not belong in Barbus

Barbus

Barbus is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae. The type species of Barbus is the Common Barbel, first described as Cyprinus barbus and now named Barbus barbus...

sensu stricto – indeed, they are as distant from the typical barbels and the typical carps (Cyprinus) as these are from Garra

Garra

Garra, the garras, are a genus of ray-finned 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...

(which is placed in the Labeoninae by most who accept the latter as distinct) and thus might form another as of 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

Tench

The tench or doctor fish is a freshwater and brackish water fish of the cyprinid family found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also found in Lake Baikal...

 (Tinca tinca), a significant food species farmed in western Eurasia

Eurasia

Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...

 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 analysis of DNA sequence

DNA sequence

The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...

 data of the S7 ribosomal protein

Ribosomal protein

A ribosomal protein is any of the proteins that, in conjunction with rRNA, make up the ribosomal subunits involved in the cellular process of translation. A large part of the knowledge about these organic molecules has come from the study of E. coli ribosomes. Most ribosomic proteins have been...

 intron

Intron

An intron is any nucleotide sequence within a gene that is removed by RNA splicing to generate the final mature RNA product of a gene. The term intron refers to both the DNA sequence within a gene, and the corresponding sequence in RNA transcripts. Sequences that are joined together in the final...

 1 supports the view that it is distinct enough to constitute a monotypic

Monotypic

In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...

 subfamily. It also suggests that it may be closer to the small East Asia

East Asia

East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...

n Aphyocypris

Aphyocypris

Aphyocypris is a genus of cyprinid fishes consisting of four species, all of which are restricted to East Asia.-Species:* Aphyocypris amnis T. Y. Liao, S. O. Kullander & H. D. Lin, 2011* Aphyocypris chinensis Günther, 1868...

, Hemigrammocypris, and Yaoshanicus

Yaoshanicus

Yaoshanicus is a genus of cyprinid fish found in eastern Asia with one species endemic to China and one endemic to Vietnam. There are currently two species in this genus.-Species:* Yaoshanicus arcus S. Y. Lin, 1931...

. 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

Topography

Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...

 of that region in the late Paleogene

Paleogene

The Paleogene is a geologic period and system that began 65.5 ± 0.3 and ended 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and comprises the first part of the Cenozoic Era...

, when their divergence presumably occurred.

Subfamilies & Genera

Subfamily Acheilognathinae

Acheilognathinae

Acheilognathinae, the bitterling-like cyprinids, are a subfamily of cyprinids.Genera contained herein are:* Acanthorhodeus – spiny bitterlings* Acheilognathus* Rhodeus – bitterlings* Tanakia...

 – bitterling-like cyprinids

• Acanthorhodeus
  Acanthorhodeus
  Acanthorhodeus is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of two species.-Species:* Acanthorhodeus chankaensis * Acanthorhodeus macropterus Bleeker, 1871...
  
  (Spiny bitterlings)
• Acheilognathus
  Acheilognathus
  Acheilognathus is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of several species. The type species is the Capoeta rhombea. 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 length from 5...
  
  (Bitterlings)
• Rhodeus
  Rhodeus
  Rhodeus is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of 21 species called bitterlings. The scientific name is derived from the Greek word rhodeos, meaning "rose"....
  
  (Bitterlings)
• Tanakia
  Tanakia
  Tanakia is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of five species that occurs in Eastern Asia. The type species is the Rhodeus oryzae.-Species:* Tanakia himantegus * Tanakia lanceolata...
  
  (Bitterlings)

Subfamily Barbinae (Barbs)

• Acrossocheilus
  Acrossocheilus
  Acrossocheilus is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae.- Morphology :Maximum length of the fishes of this species varies from 8 to 20 cm. Most of the fishes of this genus are found in Southeast Asia, China, Vietnam.- Species :...
  
  
• Balantiocheilos
  Balantiocheilos
  Balantiocheilos is a small genus of cyprinid fish. It includes two species.- Species :*Balantiocheilos ambusticauda H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2007 *Balantiocheilos melanopterus -Distribution:...
  
  
• Barbus
  Barbus
  Barbus is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae. The type species of Barbus is the Common Barbel, first described as Cyprinus barbus and now named Barbus barbus...
  
  (typical barbels and barbs)
• Carasobarbus
  Carasobarbus
  Carasobarbus is a small genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae. Its species are found around the Near East region.Like many other "barbs", it was long included in Barbus...
  
  
• Clypeobarbus
  Clypeobarbus
  Clypeobarbus is a genus of cyprinid fish that is found in Africa.- Species :* Clypeobarbus bellcrossi * Clypeobarbus bomokandi * Clypeobarbus congicus...
  
  
• Diptychus
  Diptychus
  Diptychus is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of two Asian species. The type species is the scaly osman, Diptychus maculatus. The name is derived from the Greek word di, meaning "two", and the Greek word ptyx, meaning "fold".-Species:...
  
  – "snowtrout
  Snowtrout
  A snowtrout is any of a number of ray-finned fishes from the Himalayas region. These cyprinids resemble the very distantly related trouts in habitus due to convergent evolution.Genera containing "snowtrouts" are:* Diptychus* Ptychobarbus...
  
  s"
• Luciobarbus
  Luciobarbus
  Luciobarbus is a somewhat disputed genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae. Its species are mainly found around the Mediterranean region. Its type species is the Mangar , for which the genus was established by Heckel in 1843...
  
  
• Mesopotamichthys
• Oreichthys
  Oreichthys
  Oreichthys are a group of tropical barbs found in Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar , northern Malay Peninsula, and the Mekong basin in Laos. They are found in ditches, ponds, streams and canals...
  
  
• Ospatulus
  Ospatulus
  Ospatulus is a genus of cyprinid fish endemic to the Philippines. It currently contains two species, though the validity of the genus has been questioned.- Species :* Ospatulus palaemophagus Herre, 1924...
  
  
• Pseudobarbus
  Pseudobarbus
  Pseudobarbus is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae. The type species is Burchell's Redfin . The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek pseudes and the Latin word barbus . This genus contains some of the South African redfins...
  
  – redfins
• Puntius
  Puntius
  Puntius is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. Fishes of this genus are known as the spotted barbs for the predominant pattern, though many have vertical black bands instead. Also, the Spotted Barb proper is one particular species, Puntius binotatus....
  
  – spotted barbs
• Schizothorax
  Schizothorax
  Schizothorax is a genus of cyprinid fish from Central and East Asia. Their scientific name means "cleft-breast", from Ancient Greek schízeïn "to cleave" + thórax "breast-plate"...
  
  – marinkas, "snowtrouts"
• Sinocyclocheilus
  Sinocyclocheilus
  Sinocyclocheilus is a genus of cyprinid fish endemic to China. Almost all of its species live in or around caves. The type species is Sinocyclocheilus tingi. The name is derived from the Latin word sino, meaning "from China", and the Greek word kyklos, meaning "circle", and the Greek word cheilos,...
  
  – golden-line fish
• Spratellicypris

Subfamily Cultrinae

Cultrinae

The Cultrinae are a subfamily of cyprinid fish.-Recognized Genera:* Chanodichthys* Culter* Erythroculter* Hemiculter* Ischikauia* Megalobrama* Parabramis – White Amur Bream* Sinibrama...

• Anabarilius
  Anabarilius
  Anabarilius is a genus of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family.- Species :The genus contains the following species:* Anabarilius alburnops * Anabarilius andersoni...
  
  
• Chanodichthys
  Chanodichthys
  Chanodichthys is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of five species. The name is derived from the Greek word chanos, meaning "abyss, mouth opened, inmensity", and the Greek word ichthys, meaning "fish".-Species:...
  
  
• Culter
  Culter (genus)
  Culter is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of five species. The name is derived from the Latin word culter, meaning "knife".- Species :* Culter alburnus Basilewsky, 1855* Culter flavipinnis Tirant, 1883...
  
  
• Cultrichthys
• Hemiculter
  Hemiculter
  Hemiculter is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of 8 species. The type species is the Sharpbelly, Culter leucisculus. The name is derived from the Greek word hemis, meaning "half", and the Latin word culter, meaning "knife".- Species :...
  
  (sharpbellies)
• Ischikauia
  Ischikauia
  Ischikauia steenackeri is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to Japan. This species was originally described as Opsariichthys steenackeri. This species is the only member of genus....
  
  
• Megalobrama
  Megalobrama
  Megalobrama is a genus of cyprinid fish, consisting of 6 species. The type species is Megalobrama skolkovii. The name is derived from the Greek word megalos, meaning "great", and the Old French word breme, a type of freshwater fish....
  
  
• Parabramis – White Amur Bream
• Sinibrama
  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...
  
  
• Toxabramis
  Toxabramis
  Toxabramis is a genus of cyprinid fish found in eastern Asia. There are currently seven species in this genus-Species:* Toxabramis argentifer J. F. Abbott, 1901* Toxabramis hoffmanni S. Y. Lin, 1934...
  
  

Subfamily Cyprininae (true carps)

• Carassioides
  Carassioides
  Carassioides is a genus of cyprinid fish that occurs in East and Southeast Asia. There are currently three recognized species.-Species:* Carassioides acuminatus * Carassioides argentea V. H. Nguyen, 2001...
  
  
• Carassius
  Carassius
  Carassius is a genus in the ray-finned fish family Cyprinidae. The 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 , which was bred from the Prussian carp...
  
  (Crucian carps and goldfish
  Goldfish
  The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
  
  )
• Cyprinus
  Cyprinus
  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 Cyclocheilichthys and the recently-established Barbonymus . The crucian carps of western Eurasia, which include the goldfish Cyprinus is the genus of...
  
  – typical carps

Subfamily Danioninae – danionins

• Amblypharyngodon
  Amblypharyngodon
  Amblypharyngodon is a genus of fishes in the family Cyprinidae.- Species :* Amblypharyngodon atkinsonii * Amblypharyngodon chulabhornae Vidthayanon & Kottelat, 1990...
  
  (carplets)
• Barilius
  Barilius
  Barilius is a genus of fishes in family Cyprinidae. It contains about 29 species.- Species :* Barilius bakeri F. Day, 1865* Barilius barila * Barilius barna...
  
  
• Betadevario
• Boraras
  Boraras
  Boraras is a genus of Asian cyprinid fishes.- Species :* Boraras brigittae * Boraras maculatus * Boraras merah * Boraras micros Kottelat & Vidthayanon, 1993...
  
  (rasboras)
• Brevibora
  Brevibora
  Brevibora is a genus of cyprinid fish containing two species from Southeast Asia. They are restricted to the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.-Species:* Brevibora cheeya T. Y. Liao & H. H. Tan, 2011...
  
  (rasboras)
• Chela
  Chela (fish)
  Chela is a genus of fish closely related to Devario. It currently consists of two species.- Species :* Chela cachius * Chela khujairokensis Arunkumar, 2000...
  
  
• Danio
  Danio
  The Danio genus comprises many of the species of danionins familiar to aquarists. The common name "danio" is used for members of the genera Danio and Devario.-Taxonomy:...
  
  (danios)
• Danionella
  Danionella
  Danionella is a genus comprising the danionin species D. mirifica, D. translucida, and D. dracula, three of the smallest freshwater fishes.-Distribution:...
  
  
• Devario
  Devario
  The genus Devario comprises some danionins familiar to aquarists. Generally, they are larger fish than species of the genus Danio, they have short barbels , and generally have deeper bodies than Danio species, with species having vertical or horizontal stripes present...
  
  
• Esomus
  Esomus
  Esomus is a genus comprising the Flying Barbs. they are closely related to the Danio genus and are distinctive for their extremely long barbels.- Species :* Esomus ahli Hora & Mukerji, 1928* Esomus altus...
  
  (flying barbs)
• Horadandia
• Inlecypris
• Kottelatia
• Laubuca
  Laubuca
  Laubuca is a genus of cyprinid fish found in South and Southeast Asia. There are currently eight described species.-Species:* Laubuca caeruleostigmata H. M. Smith, 1931 * Laubuca dadiburjori Menon, 1952...
  
  
• Leptocypris
  Leptocypris
  Leptocypris is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Africa. There are currently nine recognized species in this genus.-Species:* Leptocypris crossensis Howes & Teugels, 1989* Leptocypris guineensis...
  
  
• Luciosoma
  Luciosoma
  Luciosoma is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Southeast Asia. There are currently five species in this genus.-Species:* Luciosoma bleekeri Steindachner, 1878* Luciosoma pellegrinii Popta, 1905* Luciosoma setigerum...
  
  
• Malayochela
• Mesobola
  Mesobola
  Mesobola is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Africa. It currently contains four described species.- Species :* Mesobola bredoi * Mesobola brevianalis * Mesobola moeruensis...
  
  
• Microdevario
  Microdevario
  Microdevario is a small genus of danionin cyprinids. It was recently described to include species previously in the genus Microrasbora.Species:* Microdevario gatesi Herre, 1939...
  
  
• Microrasbora
  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 mainly Thailand and Myanmar, with one putative species in China.-Current Taxonomy:...
  
  
• Nematabramis
  Nematabramis
  Nematabramis is a genus of cyprinid fish that occur in the Malay Archipelago. There are currently five described species in this genus.-Species:* Nematabramis alestes * Nematabramis borneensis Inger & P. K. Chin, 1962...
  
  
• Neobola
  Neobola
  Neobola is a genus of cyprinid fishes found mostly in East Africa. There are currently four species in this genus.- Species :* Neobola bottegoi Vinciguerra, 1895* Neobola fluviatilis...
  
  
• Opsaridium
  Opsaridium
  Opsaridium is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Africa. There are currently 12 species in this genus.- Species :* Opsaridium boweni * Opsaridium engrauloides * Opsaridium leleupi...
  
  
• Opsarius
  Opsarius
  Opsarius is a genus of cyprinid fish found in southern Asia. There are currently three described species in the genus.-Species:* Opsarius cocsa * Opsarius koratensis...
  
  
• Paedocypris
  Paedocypris
  Paedocypris is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Southeast Asia where it occurs in Malaysia and Indonesia. Three species are known.Paedocypris progenetica has been claimed to be the smallest known species of fish and vertebrate in the world...
  
  
• Pectenocypris
  Pectenocypris
  Pectenocypris is a genus of cyprinid fishes endemic to Indonesia. There are three described species in this genus.-Species:* Pectenocypris balaena T. R. Roberts, 1989* Pectenocypris korthausae Kottelat, 1982...
  
  
• Raiamas
  Raiamas
  Raiamas is a genus of cyprinid fishes that is found in Africa and Asia.- Species :* Raiamas ansorgii * Raiamas batesii * Raiamas bola...
  
  
• Rasboroides
• Salmophasia
  Salmophasia
  Salmophasia is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in southern Asia. There are currently 13 described species in this genus.- Species :* Salmophasia acinaces * Salmophasia bacaila Salmophasia is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in southern Asia. There are currently 13 described species in this...
  
  – razorbelly minnows
• Securicula
• Sundadanio
  Sundadanio
  Sundadanio is a genus of cyprinid fishes from the Malay Archipelago. There are currently eight described species in this genus.-Species:* Sundadanio atomus Conway, Kottelat & H. H. Tan, 2011* Sundadanio axelrodi...
  
  
• Trigonostigma
  Trigonostigma
  Trigonostigma is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Southeast Asia. There are currently four described species.-Species:* Trigonostigma espei * Trigonostigma hengeli...
  
  

Subfamily Gobioninae – true gudgeons and relatives (including Gobiobotinae)

• Coreius
  Coreius
  Coreius is a genus of cyprinid fish belonging to the gudgeon sub-family Gobioninae. This genus in endemic to China. It currently contains four recognized species.-Species:* Coreius cetopsis...
  
  
• Gnathopogon
  Gnathopogon
  Gnathopogon is a genus of cyprinid fish found in eastern Asia. There are currently nine species in this genus.-Species:* Gnathopogon caerulescens * Gnathopogon elongatus...
  
  
• Gobio
  Gobio
  Gobio is the genus of typical gudgeons, ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family. Members of the genus are usually small fish, rarely longer than 10 cm...
  
  – typical gudgeons
• Gobiobotia
  Gobiobotia
  Gobiobotia is a genus of cyprinid fish that is found in eastern Asia.-Species:* Gobiobotia abbreviata P. W. Fang & Ki. Fu. Wang, 1931* Gobiobotia brevibarba Mori, 1935* Gobiobotia brevirostris Yi-Yu Chen & W. H...
  
  
• Gobiocypris
• Hemibarbus
  Hemibarbus
  Hemibarbus is a genus of cyprinid fish found in eastern Asia. There are currently 12 recognized species in this genus.-Species:* Hemibarbus brevipennus P. Q. Yue, 1995* Hemibarbus labeo...
  
  (steeds)
• Microphysogobio
  Microphysogobio
  Microphysogobio is a genus of cyprinid fishes that occur in eastern Asia. There are currently 24 described species in this genus.-Species:* Microphysogobio alticorpus Bănărescu & Nalbant, 1968...
  
  
• Pseudogobio
  Pseudogobio
  Pseudogobio is a genus of cyprinid fish found in eastern Asia. There are currently four described species in this genus.-Species:* Pseudogobio banggiangensis V. H. Nguyen, 2001* Pseudogobio esocinus...
  
  
• Pseudorasbora
  Pseudorasbora
  Pseudorasbora is a genus of small freshwater fish found in Eastern Asia. There are currently four recognized species in this genus.- Species :* Pseudorasbora elongata H. W. Wu, 1939...
  
  
• Romanogobio
  Romanogobio
  Romanogobio is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Europe and Asia. There are currently 18 described species in this genus, including the extinct R...
  
  
• Sarcocheilichthys
  Sarcocheilichthys
  Sarcocheilichthys is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in eastern Asia. There are currently 12 species in the genus.-Species:* Sarcocheilichthys biwaensis Hosoya, 1982* Sarcocheilichthys caobangensis V. H. Nguyen & Vo, 2001...
  
  
• Saurogobio
  Saurogobio
  Saurogobio is a genus of cyprinid fish found in eastern Asia. There are currently seven described species in this genus.-Species:* Saurogobio dabryi Bleeker, 1871 * Saurogobio dumerili Bleeker, 1871...
  
  
• Squalidus
  Squalidus
  Squalidus is a genus of cyprinid fish that occurs in eastern Asia. There are currently 14 described species in this genus.-Species:* Squalidus argentatus * Squalidus atromaculatus...
  
  

Subfamily Labeoninae

Labeoninae

Labeoninae is a doubtfully distinct subfamily of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. They inhabit freshwater and are most abundant in the region around southern China. They are a generally very apomorphic group, perhaps the most "advanced" of the Cyprinidae...

 (including Garrinae; might belong in Cyprininae)

• Akrokolioplax
• Bangana
  Bangana
  Bangana is a genus of Asian cyprinid fish. This genus contains 23 species ranging from quite small to large. Some of these species are important food fish.-Species:* Bangana almorae * Bangana ariza...
  
  
• Cirrhinus
  Cirrhinus
  Cirrhinus is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Asia.- Species :* Cirrhinus caudimaculatus * Cirrhinus cirrhosus * Cirrhinus fulungee...
  
  (mud carps)
• Cophecheilus
• Crossocheilus
  Crossocheilus
  Crossocheilus is a genus of cyprinid fish that occur in Asia. There are currently 16 recognized species.-Species:* Crossocheilus atrilimes Kottelat, 2000* Crossocheilus burmanicus Hora, 1936* Crossocheilus caudomaculatus...
  
  
• Discocheilus
  Discocheilus
  Discocheilus is a genus of cyprinid fishes endemic to China. This genus contains two recognized species.-Species:* Discocheilus multilepis * Discocheilus wui...
  
  
• Discogobio
  Discogobio
  Discogobio is a genus of cyprinid fish that are found in eastern Asia. So far the 16 species have only been identified from China and Vietnam wherein each species is an endemic to the country in which it is found.-Species:...
  
  
• Garra
  Garra
  Garra, the garras, are a genus of ray-finned 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...
  
  
• Hongshuia
  Hongshuia
  Hongshuia is a genus of cyprinid fish that consists of three species, all endemic to China.-Species:* Hongshuia banmo E. Zhang, X. Qiang & J. H. Lan, 2008* Hongshuia microstomatus...
  
  
• Labeo
  Labeo
  Labeo is a genus of carps in the family Cyprinidae. They are found mainly in the Old World tropics.It contains the typical labeos in the subfamily Labeoninae, which may not be a valid group, however, and is often included in the Cyprininae as tribe Labeonini...
  
  – Labeos
• Labeobarbus
  Labeobarbus
  Labeobarbus is a mid-sized ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae. Its species are widely distributed throughout eastern Africa and especially southern Africa, but also in Lake Tana in Ethiopia. A common name, in particular for the southern species, is yellowfish...
  
  – yellowfish
• Labiobarbus
  Labiobarbus
  Labiobarbus is a genus of cyprinid fish found in Southeast Asia. It currently contains nine described species.-Species:* Labiobarbus cyanopareja * Labiobarbus fasciatus...
  
  
• Osteochilus
  Osteochilus
  Osteochilus is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in Southeast Asia extending into China. There are currently 36 recognized species in this genus.-Species:* Osteochilus bellus Popta, 1904* Osteochilus bleekeri Kottelat, 2008...
  
  
• Parasinilabeo
  Parasinilabeo
  Parasinilabeo is a genus of cyprinid fish endemic to China. There are currently six described species in this genus-Species:* Parasinilabeo assimilis H. W. Wu & Yao, 1977* Parasinilabeo longibarbus Y. Zhu, C. Lan & E. Zhang, 2006...
  
  
• Protolabeo
• Pseudocrossocheilus
  Pseudocrossocheilus
  Pseudocrossocheilus is a genus of cyprinid fish endemic to China. There are currently six recognized species in this genus.-Species:* Pseudocrossocheilus bamaensis...
  
  
• Pseudogyrinocheilus
  Pseudogyrinocheilus
  Pseudogyrinocheilus is a genus of cyprinid fish endemic to China. There are currently two described species in this genus.-Species:* Pseudogyrinocheilus longisulcus L. P. Zheng, X. Y. Chen & J. X. Yang, 2010...
  
  
• Ptychidio
  Ptychidio
  Ptychidio is a genus of cyprinid fish endemic to China. There are currently three described species in this genus.-Species:* Ptychidio jordani Myers, 1930* Ptychidio longibarbus Yi-Yu Chen & Y. F. Chen, 1989* Ptychidio macrops Fang, 1981...
  
  
• Qianlabeo
• Rectoris
  Rectoris
  Rectoris is a genus of cyprinid fish found in China and Vietnam. There are currently four recognized species in this genus.-Species:* Rectoris longifinus W. X. Li, W. N. Mao & Zo. Mi. Lu, 2002* Rectoris luxiensis H. W. Wu & Yao, 1977...
  
  
• Semilabeo
  Semilabeo
  Semilabeo is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in eastern Asia. There are currently two recognized species in this genus.-Species:* Semilabeo notabilis W. K. H. Peters, 1881* Semilabeo obscurus Lin, 1981...
  
  
• Sinocrossocheilus
  Sinocrossocheilus
  Sinocrossocheilus is a genus of cyprinid fish endemic to China. There are three described species in this genus.-Species:* Sinocrossocheilus guizhouensis H. W. Wu, 1977* Sinocrossocheilus labiatus R. F. Su, J. X. Yang & G. H. Cui, 2003...
  
  

Subfamily Leptobarbinae

• Leptobarbus
  Leptobarbus
  Leptobarbus is a genus of cyprinid fish that originate from Asia. They are important food fish. Leptobarbus hoevenii is its type species.- Species :* Leptobarbus hoevenii...