Carp / Sucker Family

The family Cyprinidae, from the Ancient Greek kyprînos, consists of the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives (e.g. 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 in about 220 genera. The family belongs to the order Cypriniformes, of whose genera and species the cyprinids make up two-thirds.

Cyprinids are stomachless fish and the jaws are toothless. Food can be effectively chewed by the gill rakers of the specialized last gill bow. These pharyncheal teeth allow can make chewing motions against a chewing plate formed by a procession of the skull. The pharyncheal teeth are species specific and are used by specialist to determine the species. Strong pharyncheal teeth allow fish like the common carp and ide (fish)|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 to the inner ear. This construction is also used to observe motion of the gass bladder due to atmospheric conditions or depth changes. Th cyprinids are physostomes 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.

Most cyprinids feed mainly on invertebrates and vegetation probably due to the lack of teeth and stomach, but some species like the Asp specialize in fish. Many species ide (fish) ide, common rudd will eat small fish however when reaching a certain size. Even small species like the moderlieschen eat larvae of the common frog in artificial circumstances.

Some fishes are specialized in eating vegetation grass carp, some eat algae from hard surfaces common nase, some specialize in snails black carp and some are specialized filter feeders silver carp. For this reason they are often introduced as a management tool to control aquatic vegetation, diseases transmitted by snails and other purposes.