Cyprinidae
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cyprinidae".

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

Acheilognathinae
Barbinae
Cultrinae
Cyprininae
Danioninae
Gobioninae
Labeoninae
Leuciscinae
Rasborinae
Squaliobarbinae
Tincinae
Xenocyprinae
and see text

The family Cyprinidae, named after the Greek word Kypris, another name for Aphrodite, consists of the carps and some of the fish known as minnows.[1]

Contents

Characteristics

The fish in this family originate from North America, Africa, and Eurasia. The largest fish in this family is the Giant Barb (Catlocarpio siamensis), which may grow up to 3 m (10 ft). The largest North American species is the Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius). On the other hand, many species are smaller than 5 cm (2 in); the smallest freshwater fish is, in fact, a cypriniform, Danionella translucida, reaching 12 mm at the longest.[1] 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.

Economic significance

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 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.[2]

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.[3][4] 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.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7]

Systematics

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.

Subfamilies and genera

The bold 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)

Barbinae

Cultrinae

Cyprininae

Danioninae

Gobioninae

Labeoninae

Leuciscinae

Rasborinae

Squaliobarbinae

Tincinae

Xenocyprinae

incertae sedis

References

  1. ^ a b Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0471250317
  2. ^ A. F. Magri MacMahon (1946). Fishlore, pp 149-152. Pelican Books.
  3. ^ "Florida's Exotic Freshwater Fishes". State of Florida (2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
  4. ^ "Florida's Exotic Freshwater Fishes". State of Florida (2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
  5. ^ 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 on 2007-05-03.
  6. ^ Riehl R. & Baensch H (1996) Aquarium Atlas Volume 1 p. 410. Voyageur Press, ISBN 3-88244-050-3
  7. ^ Helfman G., Collette B., & Facey D. (1997). The Diversity of Fishes p. 228. Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 0-86542-256-7

External links

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