Cyprinidae

noun

Distribution: North America (northern Canada to southern Mexico), Africa, and Eurasia. Pharynx with 1-3 rows of teeth, each row with a maximum of 8 teeth. Usually thin lips, plicae or papillae absent; mouth sometimes suckerlike (Garra and Labeo). With or without barbels. Premaxilla usually borders the upper jaw making the maxilla entirely or almost entirely excluded from the gape. Usually protrusible upper jaw. Dorsal fin with spinelike rays in some. Primitive number of chromosomes 2n=50, some with 48; polyploidy exists. Maximum length at least 2.5 m to probably 3 m in Catlocarpio siamensis; many species less than 5 cm. Mainly non-guarders, but in some species males build nests and/or protect the eggs.

The family Cyprinidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Cypriniformes. It contains 210 genera and 2010 species. It may be found in Brackish, and Freshwater environments and is primarily Primary freshwater. Many members of this family are used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is subcarangiform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be normal. Members of this family have been dated back to the Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period. This family may be found from 70° n to 34° s and 150° w to 170° e. Etymology of this family name: Greek, kyprinos = goldfish.