(Ctenopharyngodon idella)
The Genus is the rank between Family and Species
Cyprinus is a Genus of fish in the Cyprinidae Family
Maximum size 1.5 M (60 in) long,
Maximum published weight 45 (99 lb)
Maximum reported age 21 years
Kingdom Animalia (animals)
Phylum Chordata (vertebrates and several closely related invertebrates)
Class Actinopterygii, (ray-finned fishes)
Order Cypriniformes, (carps)
Family Cyprinidae, (Minnows or carps)
Subfamily: Cyprininae
Genus Ctenopharyngodon
Species Ctenopharyngodon idella
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.
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 Ptychocheilus lucius. On the other hand, many species are smaller than 50mm (2 in); the smallest freshwater fish is, in fact, a cypriniform, Danionella translucida, reaching 12 mm at the longest. 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 prevalance 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.
Several cyprinids have been quite introduced to waters outside their natural range to provide food, sport, or biological control for some pest species. The carp and the grass carp are the most important of these, for example in Florida. 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.
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. Other popular cyprinids kept in aquarium include the barbs, danios and rasboras.
Grass carp
The Grass Carp, (Ctenopharyngodon idella), also known as the White Amur, is a herbivorous, freshwater fish. It is cultivated in China for food but was introduced in the United States for aquatic weed control. It is a species of carp native to Siberia and northern China. The name White Amur derives from the Amur river, where the species is believed to originate.
Appearance and anatomy
Grass Carp
White amur have an elongate, chubby body form that is torpedo shaped. The terminal mouth is slightly oblique with non-fleshy, firm lips, and no barbels. The complete lateral line contains 40 to 42 scales. Broad, ridged pharyngeal teeth are arranged in a 2, 4-4, 2 formula. The dorsal fin has 8 to 10 soft rays, and the anal fin is set closer to the tail than most cyprinids. Body color is dark olive, shading to brownish-yellow on the sides with a white belly and large slightly outlined scales.
The grass carp grows very rapidly, and young fish stocked in the spring at 20 cm (8 inches) will reach over 45 cm (18 inches) by fall, and adults often attain nearly 1.2 m (4 feet) in length and over 18 kg (70-90 pounds) in weight. They grow 10 pounds a year at least. They eat up to 3 times their own body weight daily.
Ecology
This species occurs in lakes, ponds, pools and backwaters of large rivers, preferring large, slow-flowing or standing water bodies with vegetation. In the wild, grass carp spawn on riverbeds in fast-moving rivers.
Adults of the species feed exclusively on aquatic plants. They feed on higher aquatic plants and submerged grasses, but may also take detritus, insects, and other invertebrates.
Relationship to humans
The species was deliberately introduced into the United States in 1963 for aquatic weed control. It was introduced into New Zealand along with stocks of goldfish but the distribution is carefully controlled to prevent it from becoming a more widespread pest.
When used for weed control, often the fish introduced to the pond or stream are sterile, triploid fish. The process for producing triploid fish involves shocking eggs with rapid change in temperature. The young are then tested for triploidy before being sold. Bait often consists of vegetables or fruits that are native to the area.
These fish are also a food fish, and may be steamed, pan fried, broiled, or baked.
Reproduction
An egg-layer, a typical adult fish can lay 300,000 eggs in a single spawning. Research shows that carp can spawn multiple times in a season in some areas. The young are preyed upon by other predatorial fish such as the northern pike and largemouth bass.
Environment:
Demersal
Sinking to or lying on the bottom; living on or near the bottom and feeding on benthic organisms.
Potamodromous;
Migrating within streams, migratory in rivers.
Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.
Depth 0 – 30 M
Climate: temperate; 0 - 35°C; 65°N - 25°N
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years
Biology: Occurs in lakes, ponds, pools and backwaters of large rivers, preferring large, slow-flowing or standing water bodies with vegetation.
Tolerant of a wide range of temperatures from 0° to 38°C, and salinities to as much as 10 ppt and oxygen levels down to 0.5 ppm. Feeds on higher aquatic plants and submerged grasses; takes also detritus, insects and other invertebrates. One of the world's most important aquaculture species and also used for weed control in rivers, fish ponds and reservoirs.
Spawns on riverbeds with very strong current.
Utilized also fresh and eaten steamed, pan-fried, broiled and baked.
Considered as a pest in most countries because of the damages made to submerged vegetation.
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