A species of fish from the carp family. Carp and general information about the family

Carp fish are a diverse, numerous and fairly widespread family. It unites more than a dozen genera and more than a hundred species living both in the seas and in fresh water bodies. These representatives are quite thermophilic, and therefore the number of their species decreases as they approach the north. Some of the species of this family feed on plankton and insects that enter the water, others get their food in the water column or in vegetation. By autumn, they completely complete the hunting period and fall into a daze for the winter.

The list of carp fish is very diverse - carp, carp, bream, silver carp, barbel, rudd, crucian carp, grass carp and so on. Our company is ready to offer all buyers the same varied selection of fish of exceptionally good quality.

Carp fish - composition and useful properties

The meat of carp fish contains a lot of components useful for the human body:

• Fats, essential proteins, numerous vital vitamins.
• A full-fledged complex of macro and microelements - iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, chromium and the like.
• Meat contains very few calories, which makes it an indispensable product in the dietary menu.
• A small amount of tissue compounds - the product is easier and faster to process than animal meat (especially important for people with a sedentary lifestyle).
• A lot of proteins, which is very useful for the growing body of children and adolescents.

Contraindications and harm

Fish of the carp family are unpretentious and not at all demanding on living conditions. For this reason, they do not disdain polluted waters and are not at all picky about food. As a rule, some of these inhabitants devour everything. This phenomenon contributes to the fact that certain harmful substances can accumulate in their bodies. That is why such products should be bought from trusted sellers who know exactly where this or that fish is caught. Our company is ready to offer such ecological and safe products to every customer.

Carp fish in cooking

Carp fish, freshwater and sea dwellers, are very often eaten by humans. Due to the fact that these inhabitants make up the bulk of the biomass in many waters, except for fast-flowing bodies of water, they most often become the basis of any industry. The meat of this fish is very tasty, there is very little fat here, but one should not forget about the presence of small bones.

It is best to choose large carp, carp or silver carp for cooking from this family, most often they are fried and served with a variety of sauces. Also, these representatives are best suited for stuffing; they are also good baked in the oven.

Smaller carcasses are best used for fish soup, they will make an appetizing broth with an incredible aroma, or a rich soup, which is certainly filtered to avoid getting bones. Many culinary experts especially value carp meat for its taste, and when finished, it turns out to be tender and slightly sweet.

The taste of this fish is very rich and it is almost impossible to kill it, and therefore this meat will dominate in any dish. And the larger the carcass of the carp, the better it is, because in this case there will be fewer bones. As a rule, the quality of carp fish meat directly depends on the food supply.

Other representatives of this family, for example, ram, roach or bream, are best dried, smoked or wilted. In any case, giving preference to fish dishes, you can not only diversify your own diet, but also bring impressive benefits to the body.

Carp is the most famous, but far from the only species of fish from the carp family. In the world there are more than 2 thousand species of carp, including aquarium. They are common in Russia, Africa, Asia, North America and Europe. The habitat of this large family includes both tropical and temperate zones and even the Arctic Circle. The carp family includes fish of commercial value.

There are more than 2 thousand species in the carp family.

General information

The carp family has a common distinguishing feature - the absence of teeth on the jaws. The teeth are located inside the pharynx on the pharyngeal bones. The process of absorbing food involves grabbing food and pushing it inward, where it is chopped. The oral cavity is mobile, the lips are flat, fleshy. In many individuals, one pair of antennae is located above the upper lip (except for the octopus gudgeon, it has 4). The swim bladder is very powerful, contains 2, rarely 3 sections. The body is covered with large scales or completely naked, which is not so common.

During spawning, the female lays eggs on flat stones or algae leaves. Eggs usually have a sticky, sticky structure with rare exceptions. For example, the future offspring of the grass carp drifts in a stream of water.

The carp family is a commercial fish, even small species are popular with breeders and fishermen. About half of the known species are bred in artificial reservoirs for further sale. ... These include:

• carp;
• rudd;
• vobla;
• silver carp, etc.

Barbs - aquarium fish from the carp family

Ornamental aquarium fish are no less popular. The history of their breeding has been going on for more than a dozen years. It is known that the first mentions date back to the 1st century AD. For the first time, Japanese specialists were engaged in selection, and then Chinese ones. The list of aquarium breeds includes:

• goldfish;
• brachydanio;

The sizes of natural inhabitants range from 6 to 300 cm in length. This range is characterized by a variety of species of cyprinids. But large representatives (more than 80 cm) are not so common. The most common types are medium in size. Sizes mainly depend on the continent of the habitat. So, North America is inhabited by small representatives, while in the middle zone of Eurasia, larger fish with a length of about 20-150 cm prevail.

The color can be different, the most common are light greenish and golden shades. But artificially bred species surprise with a variety of colors. Colored representatives of the natural environment are found in the tropical strip.

Habitat conditions

Carp are predominantly freshwater species. Although there are some species that can tolerate the salty water of the Azov or Baltic Sea. And the Far Eastern rudd is able to live comfortably even in the waters of the ocean. But for spawning, absolutely all carp go to fresh waters.

Fish of this family are considered to be thermophilic., but some rocks adapt to climatic conditions, otherwise they could not spread beyond the Arctic Circle. And on the territory of Russia, where winters are often severe, they could not survive.

Fish of the carp family are considered to be thermophilic

The main condition for choosing a reservoir for living is the availability of a large amount of food. Carp are predators for the most part, which means they have an excellent appetite or even gluttony. Absolutely everything goes to the diet:

• small fish;
• insects;
• plants;
• cereals;
• larvae;
• crustaceans;
• various plankton.

The peak of gluttony is during the warm season. With a sharp drop in temperature, the appetite of fish decreases. In the winter months, the feeding intensity drops to a minimum and returns to normal only with the arrival of spring.

Varieties of freshwater fish

There are countless types of freshwater fish from the Carp family, almost all representatives live in fresh water. But still, a list of the most popular varieties can be distinguished.

Carps in nature

This group is of great interest to Russian fishermen and breeders. The fish meat is white, fatty, not bony. Suitable for frying and roasting, as well as drying and drying. There are three types:

Common features of carp are large size, similarity in appearance and omnivorousness. There is an active reproduction and fishing, often turning into poaching. An active struggle is being waged against him, but not always successful.

Common features of carp are large sizes.

Other species in the wild

Other species are also carp-like, differ in appearance and territory of residence:

Fish are of different sizes, but all are subject to mass fishing. Some are allowed to ram, others to bait. Some of them are bred in artificial reservoirs because of their pronounced taste and usefulness.

Aquarium carp

Breeders have managed to breed many aquarium "carps", which are also predators and have a pronounced temperament. But their size is modest, and they hunt only for live food, less often for small neighbors:

Of course, there are many more carp fish, but it is rather difficult to describe all of them. The presented 15 species are popular among the Russian population and have the characteristic features of the carp family.

Although carp are considered the most common commercial fish, there are endangered species among them, listed in the Red Book. To date, there are 8 of them: black Amur bream, grass carp, Russian swine, small-scaled yellowfin, yellow-cheeked, Dnipropetrovsk barbel, carp, Azov-Black Sea chenaya. Half of them are endangered.

White Cupid (Ctenopharyngodon idella) General information: White Cupid (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is a fish of the carp family. The birthplace of the White Amur (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is East Asia, where it is distributed from the r. Cupid to South China. The introduction of the White Amur (Ctenopharyngodon idella) into the reservoirs of the USSR began in the first half of the 60s, when it was acclimatized in order to cleanse reservoirs from water [...]

African barbus Despite the existence of numerous species of African barbel, they are rare in aquariums. This is explained by the fact that a number of species are either too large in size, or are not interesting in color. Barbodes ablabes grows up to 10 cm in length. Males are smaller than females, slimmer, with more expressive orange-colored fins. Fish spawn willingly as in pairs, [...]

Barbus - Sumatranus (Capoeta tetrazona tetrazona) lives in Sumatra, Thailand, Kalimantan (Borneo). Since its introduction in Europe in 1935, it is constantly found in aquariums. Reaches 7 cm in length. The paired pelvic fins of males are intensely red, the upper part of the stigma is reddish, and the dorsal fin has an intense red edging. APPEARANCE. Like all barbs, [...]

White-eye (sopa) (Abramis sapa) Description: White-eye (Abramis sapa) (sopa) is a fish of the carp family. Length up to 35 cm, weight up to 1 kg. Outwardly, it is similar to bream, but has a more flattened and elongated body. The snout is thick, dull, swollen. The eyes are large (up to 30% of the length of the head) with a white-silver iris (hence the name). The branchial stamens are long and dense. […]

Bystryanka (Alburnoides bipunctatus) Description: Bystryanka (Alburnoides bipunctatus) - this little-known fish in our country is very similar to ordinary bleak, but at first glance it differs from it in two dark stripes running along the middle of the body, on the sides of the so-called. lateral line, and the fact that it is noticeably wider and more humpbacked than it. This blackish streak starts from the eyes and, when [...]

Verkhovka (Leucaspius delineatus) - Fish of the carp family. Length 4-5, occasionally up to 8 cm, weight up to 7 g. It looks like a small bleak, from which it differs in a wider body and head, a short lateral line (spread over the first 2-12 scales). A network of sensitive tubules, located in groups, enters the head: on the upper part, under the eyes, on the preoperculum. In the dorsal fin [...]

The skygazer (Erythroculter erythropterus) is a freshwater fish. Found in the waters of China from the Yangtze in the south to the river. Cupid in the north, lives on the island of Taiwan, in West Korea, in Liaohe. This fish is widespread in the Ussuri River and Lake Khanka. It prefers the skygazer to stay mainly in the water column. Reaches a length of about 102 cm and a weight of 9 kg. Predatory fish. It feeds on [...]

Vladislavia (Ladislavia taczanowskii) is widespread in the upper and middle reaches of the Amur basin, mainly in rivers and streams of the foothill type, preferring open shallow areas with a fairly fast current, pebble or sandy-pebble soil, sometimes overgrown with sparse vegetation. It easily scrapes diatoms and detritus from stones and compacted soil with its pointed, cartilage-covered mandible. Intestinal tract [...]

Vobla (lat. Rutilus rutilus caspicus) - fish of the Caspian Sea, is an important subject of fishing on the lower Volga; is a subspecies of roach. It differs from river roach in greater size (up to 30 cm and more) and in some minor morphological features (gray fins with black edging and silver eyes with dark spots above the pupils). Distribution Vobla is endemic [...]

The belly belly (Hemiculter leucisculus) is distributed throughout the entire range of the genus, with the exception of West Korea; forms a number of subspecies (there are three in the Amur basin: typical, Buirnor, Khanka). The length of the belly is up to 18 cm. This small silvery fish looks and lives much like bleak in European rivers. Vostrobelushka is a schooling pelagic fish that lives both in lakes and in [...]

The basic definition of a fish species is as follows: a vertebrate animal that breathes with gills and lives in water has limbs in the form of fins, skin covered with scales, with cold blood. In order to better navigate its species, the commercial fish were grouped according to the main characters and species characteristics.

A basic list of fish families and their photos will help give a complete picture of the individuals.

Sturgeon family

Sturgeon have no scales, and instead of a spine, they have a chord (cartilaginous string). The meat is tasty, fatty and dense, caviar is of great importance. Sturgeon live in the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas, as well as in Siberian rivers.

In cooking, they are actively used for cooking balyk, canned food, as well as various kinds of dishes. In addition, it is consumed raw.

The classification of fish of the sturgeon family is as follows:

• beluga;
• sturgeon;
• kaluga;
• stellate sturgeon;
• sterlet.

Family of herring fish

These include:

• pacific, Atlantic, Caspian, White Sea herring;
• herring;
• tulle;
• sardinella;
• sprat;
• sardine, etc.

They have silvery sides and abdomen, and the back is dark, small scales that lend themselves well to cleaning. The meat is quite bony, it is most often used for salting, as well as for making canned food.

Family of carp fish

They have a high body, one fin on the back, dense scales. The meat has many bones, but despite this, it is very tasty and tender. They live both in rivers and in the seas and oceans, respectively, there are many freshwater fish in the family. These include:

• carp;
• silver carp;
• crucian carp;
• amur;
• vobla;
• ide, etc.

Carp are dried, smoked, sold fresh and frozen.

Perch fish family

They have one spiny fin and one soft fin on the back.

Especially important:

• zander;
• perch.

There are no small bones in them, the meat is white, elastic and tender. They are used both in cooking and canning.

Family of flounder fish

They have a flat, wide body with eyes on one side, and a fan-shaped tail. The meat is tasty and fatty, has few bones. Flounders include:

• halibuts;
• flounder;
• sole.

Salmon family

These include:

• real salmon (salmon, trout, whitefish, whitefish, lake and Caspian salmon, nelma, vendace);
• far Eastern salmon (pink salmon, red salmon, sima, chum salmon, chinook salmon, coho salmon).

Their elongated body is covered with small scales, near the tail is an adipose fin.

The meat of salmon fish is very tender and fatty, most individuals have red shades, but there are also representatives with white meat. Orange caviar is also actively used in gastronomy. Mostly salmon live in the Far East and Northwest regions.

Family of mackerel fish

These include mackerel, tuna and pelmid fish. They live in temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. The body is curved, covered with small scales, on the back, two fins are located at a distance from each other.

Family of horse mackerel

They have a naked or small-scaled body compressed from the sides. Along the body there are horny outgrowths and a lateral line that bends sharply. The specimen has 2 dorsal fins and one anal fins, next to the last two spines.

These include:

• horse mackerel;
• quarantine;
• pompous;
• vomer;
• dashing;
• seriola.

Family of cod fish

Relate:

• pollock;
• blue whiting;
• pollock;
• burbot;
• cod;
• haddock;
• navaga;

Cod fish have an elongated body, which is covered with small scales. The pelvic fins of cod fish are located above the pectorals, and in some individuals, in front of them. They also have 2 anal and 3 dorsal fins (except for burbot) and a tendril on the chin. They live in the Pacific Ocean and its seas, as well as in the North Atlantic.

Codfish have few bones, are tasty and have a marine flavor. They are used in every possible way: in the form of fillets, canned food, they are dried and smoked, and they also make delicacies from liver and caviar.

It will be useful for any angler to learn about what fish are in the carp family, what features each representative of this large fish "family" has. After all, in whatever regions and countries you did not go, everywhere you can meet the "relatives" of carp, who are likely to become your catch.

There are many species of fish in the carp family besides the carp itself.

Habitat and abundance

There are about 2,000 species in the carp family. Among them are freshwater, marine and even aquarium fish. Due to the huge number within the family, more than 250 genera are distinguished, united in 9 subfamilies.

Naturally, such a species diversity predetermined the widespread occurrence of all cyprinids, whose habitat includes tropical and temperate zones, as well as the Arctic Circle. Thus, these fish are characterized not by zonal distribution (distinguishing most freshwater fish), but by radial distribution. More precisely, the representatives of this family live in water bodies and water areas:

• Africa;
• Europe;
• Asia;
• Australia;
• North America, etc.

Representatives of the carp family are found in many parts of the world

Cyprinids are not found in South America, New Guinea, the Caribbean Islands, etc. Moreover, their main habitat is Asia and Europe. The rarest numbers of individuals are found in African and North American territories. There is also a decrease in the number of cyprinids closer to northern latitudes, which is explained by their relative heat-loving nature. So, only a few representatives of the carp family live in the northern territories of Eurasia. Among the most famous to the common fisherman are roach, dace, ide, crucian carp, etc.

Features of the carp family

All species of carp fish differ significantly from each other both in appearance and size, and in habits, taste preferences, lifestyle, requirements for the environment, etc. However, from a biological point of view, they are united by the presence of the Weberian apparatus. It is a special organ that is a collection of movable bones (modified vertebrae) running from the inner ear to the swim bladder.

In addition, all cyprinids are distinguished by a small number of pharyngeal teeth, as well as the presence of a horny formation at the top of the pharynx. They all serve to grind food. Whereas on the jaws, teeth of this family are absent. That is, with their mouths they only capture food, and its grinding occurs already in the throat. This is why these fish have rather fleshy lips. Moreover, many have well-developed blades and special papillae that facilitate the process of absorbing food.

A distinctive feature of cyprinids is the structure of the mouth and the number of teeth.

As for the swim bladder, it is usually large in cyprinids. It is located in the abdominal cavity and is divided into 2 or 3 parts. The mouth opening in all cyprinids is quite mobile. In its upper part there are only premaxillary bones. Some species have antennae. Moreover, as a rule, there are no more than two pairs.

The fins in fish of this family consist of many articulated rays. Of these, the first and the last are mostly unbranched, while the rest often branch out at the ends. Sometimes the last ray (for example, in the dorsal fin) is slightly thickened or resembles a thorn and has serrations along the posterior edge. The pelvic fins are located behind the pectoral fins and precisely in the abdominal part. The caudal fin is divided into equal cavities. It is usually notched and consists of almost two dozen large rays.

What else is important to know? For example, the fact that carp fish have a digestive tract that is not divided into sections. It looks like a primitive round tube. Its length varies depending on what the fish feeds on. In predators, the digestive tract is usually either the same length as the body, or less than it. In “herbivorous” representatives of cyprinids, it exceeds the body length by two or more times.

Also, cyprinids have a distinctive structure of the digestive tract from other fish.

Features of color and size

The body coloration of carps is predominantly monochromatic. Most popular scale colors:

• silver;
• golden;
• greenish brown.

In the reservoirs of Eurasia, representatives with silvery scales predominate, in which the fins are either gray, or yellow, or reddish in color with varying saturation. The brightest body color is observed in carp fish that live in India and nearby countries. Many of them have scales similar to orange or cherry.

It has also been noted that in many carps, the body color becomes brighter when they reach puberty. But for young animals, the opposite is true. Their dark body color helps them stay invisible to predators.

Depending on the habitat, carp can have a different color

The sizes of all carps are quite varied. Some adult representatives of this vast family reach a body length of only 6-7 cm. Others, on the contrary, grow up to 1.5-2 m. At the same time, the giant barbel is the real carp "record holder". This fish is common in Thailand and Vietnam. The length of her body can be up to 3 m.

Habitat and diet of carp

All cyprinids mainly inhabit reservoirs with fresh water. However, a number of individuals of some species easily tolerate the salinity of the Baltic and Azov seas. In addition, the Far Eastern rudd can even live in waters with oceanic salinity. At the same time, relatives of "carp" love to spawn in a freshwater environment.

As for nutrition, the diet of the carp family includes a wide variety of foods. This could be:

• various vegetation;
• phytoplankton;
• detritus (a layer at the bottom of water bodies consisting of animal and plant remains);
• other fish;
• insects and their larvae;
• cereals and plant seeds;
• zoobenthos, etc.

Cyprinids feed on zooplankton

All representatives of the carp family feed more actively in warm water. Therefore, in the fall, the amount of food they consume is sharply reduced. In winter, these fish require a minimum amount of food.

Commercial carp fish

It's no secret that many members of the carp family are an important part of the fishing industry. The thing is that almost all of them are highly resistant to a bad environment, gain weight quickly, and are also distinguished by their endurance and good taste. The list of fish that have the greatest commercial value includes several hundred names. Among the through forms:

• ram;
• damp (the same fish);
• carp (or kutum), etc.

One of the representatives of the commercial carp is the roach

If we are talking about freshwater carp, then these are:

• carp;
• crucian carp;
• chub;
• tench;
• skygazer;
• ide and many others. dr.

As for paid fishing, in the reservoirs intended for such fishing, they try to breed the same crucians, carps and tench, as well as silver carps and grass carps.

Representatives of freshwater carps

Carp species

Having finished a small overview of the whole carp family and having found out who is in it, we will dwell on the carp itself in more detail. After all, this particular fish is of great interest to any angler.

It is customary to distinguish between several types of carp. They differ from each other in appearance, habits, habitat, etc. Moreover, almost all carp species are found in the water bodies of Europe and Asia, which means that each of them can become your prey:

River or wild carp

Better known as carp. In fact, this fish is the original form from which the pond carp was bred. It differs in a slightly more elongated body, structure and color of scales. It also does not have a "tubercle" on the top of the head, which is typical of pond carp. The carp is more picky about the living conditions, it needs water with a high oxygen content. Therefore, he lives in rivers. It rarely reaches large sizes - as a rule, its weight does not exceed 6-8 kg. The largest number of carp individuals live in the Caspian Sea basin.

Carp can be called the progenitor of the pond carp

Scaly (common) carp

Bears great resemblance to the carp. However, this fish also has a number of individual traits. For example, a wider body, a smaller head and the presence of a pronounced transition from head to back, which anglers call "hump". It can reach weight up to 30-40 kg. Scaly carp are less whimsical to living conditions. At the same time, it grows and gains mass faster than the rest of its "relatives". It is also believed that scaly carp are more hardy and more fertile than carp.

Artificially derived already from the form of scaly carp. Germany is considered his homeland. It was from this country that in the 19th century the mirror carp "migrated" to the reservoirs of almost all of Europe and Asia. It is unusual in that there are very few scales on its body. At the same time, they are located so that all the sides of the mirror carp remain almost naked. Only a small amount of scales (golden, brownish or silvery) are found near the head, fins, and tail. - a real "record holder". Its weight reaches 50-60 kg, and the body length in some individuals exceeds 1 m.

Naked carp

It is easy to guess that this representative of the cyprinids is completely devoid of scales. Only in some fish of this species on the body can you find a couple of scales in the region of the dorsal fin. The rest of the naked carp resembles its mirror "brother".

Hairless and mirror carp differs from ordinary carp in complete or partial absence of scales.

Koi carp

The koi carp is becoming more and more widespread in the water bodies of Eurasia. This species is also of artificial origin. This fish was originally bred in Japan. It is appreciated for its unique colors. It is mainly a white body with orange spots. However, there are currently over 80 breeds of koi carp, among which there are fish with red, yellow, beige, dark gray, blue and orange colors. This type of carp is quite hardy and unpretentious. Moreover, it easily lives in reservoirs where the oxygen content in the water is only 0.5 mg / l.

• It is rather difficult to calculate when the first representative of the carp family appeared. However, some remains of fish of this species date back to the Eocene era. That is, the “ancestors” of the carp lived already 50-60 million years ago, when the first origins of oil, gas and coal were just appearing on Earth.
• Carp spawn mainly in fresh water. However, some species can also reproduce in areas with a high salt content.

• One of the most predatory representatives of carp is the asp. This fish loves to feast on bleak, gudgeon and fry. Moreover, the asp is very unusual hunting for their prey. He does it alone. As a rule, it slowly creeps up to the flock and at high speed bursts into its middle, trying to stun several individuals with its tail at once.
• Most cyprinids not only like to look for food in silt sediments, but can also hide there, finding shelter for the duration of the action of adverse factors (lack of oxygen, freezing, deterioration of the food supply, etc.). Moreover, the carp is capable of burrowing deeper into the silt. It will not be difficult for him to hide in silt deposits to a depth of 12 cm.

From the video you will learn about the peculiarities of carp fishing: