A species of freshwater fish from the carp family list. "Weedy" fish

In the article I will consider fish of the carp family. I'll tell you about their features and their habitat. I will dwell on the most popular representatives of the family in more detail. I will describe the appearance of the fish, the conditions of detention and purpose.

Description and characteristics of fish of the carp family

Cyprinids are fish of the carp family. There are about two thousand species. Represented by marine, freshwater and aquarium inhabitants. Within the family, more than 250 genera are distinguished, which are grouped into 9 subfamilies.

The range of life of cyprinids is huge.

They are found all over the world, but the main habitat is Asia and Europe.

The body of the fish is covered with scales, the head is naked. edge upper jaw formed by the premaxillary bones, the belly is rounded without ossification. Fat fins are absent.

Carp species differ from each other in color, habits, food preferences and lifestyle. The size of the fish depending on the species can vary greatly. Small members of the family grow up to 6-7 cm, while some species can reach 1.5-2 m.

The largest carp fish is considered to be a giant barbel, whose length reaches 3 meters. He lives in Thailand and Vietnam.

The body color of cyprinids can be very diverse. The most popular of them:

golden;
silver;
dirty green.

Family Features

The representatives of the family are united by the presence of the Weberian apparatus and pharyngeal teeth. They are located on the lower pharyngeal bone in one, two or even three rows. Cyprinids swallow food with their mouths, and grinding takes place already in the throat. For this reason, the fish have rather fleshy lips.

Fish are also characterized by a large swim bladder and a specific digestive tract. The latter is not divided into compartments, but has the form of a tube. In predators, it can reach the length of a carp, and in herbivores it can exceed the body size by more than 2 times. The length depends on the food of the fish.

The most popular representatives in the form of a list

There are several thousand fish of the carp family. They have long taken a leading position in both commercial fishing and aquarism.

The most popular fish of the carp family are described in more detail below in the form of a list.

River

- a large fish of brown or yellow-green color. Grows up to 35 cm.

It lives in almost any, even polluted, reservoir. The fish are warm. Prefers lakes and backwaters of rivers with a small current and a moderately silted bottom.

River carp is a commercial fish species.

The most popular fish among anglers. This species is considered the largest among carps, individuals weighing about 40 kg came across.

The scales take on a different shade, depending on the color of the water and the plants of the reservoir in which the fish lives. And although the scaly carp is thermophilic, it perfectly adapts to the northern latitudes. It can be found in lakes, quarries or rivers. Omnivorous. Scaled carp is a commercial fish.

One of the most unusual representatives of his family.

They are distinguished by a small amount of scales and increased requirements for the habitat. It occurs almost throughout Eurasia, but the reservoir must be well aerated with a large number of well-heated areas.

Carp is omnivorous. The length reaches 1 meter, body weight - 20 kg. Refers to commercial species.

Valuable commercial fish. It lives in lakes, ponds and muddy rivers. Prefers aquatic plants for food. The size reaches 1.2 m., Weight - 35 kg.

Perfectly adaptable to any temperature regime. Lives in Asia, Europe, South America, Australia and South Africa. It often colonizes water bodies to control vegetation.

Another of the commercial species of carp. Distinguished from the rest by a wide forehead. The average size of an adult silver carp: length - 1m, weight - 20-25kg.

The silver carp prefers plant foods and is easily acclimatized. It, like grass carp, is often populated in water bodies to destroy plants. Inhabits fresh water bodies with muddy bottoms and soft vegetation.

Distributed in almost all areas of Europe and Asia.

A medium-sized fish that lives both in the mouths of rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea and in the sea itself. It grows up to 40 cm, weighing up to 1 kg. Feeds on inactive invertebrates.

It is often referred to as one of the varieties of roach, although the fish differs in some ways. outward signs, as well as the habitat. Vobla belongs to the commercial species of cyprinids, mainly used in dried or smoked form.

Another commercial fish is cyprinids. It lives in fast and slow-flowing rivers, tributaries of rivers and reservoirs with running water. Needs a lot of oxygen. It is distributed almost throughout Asia and Europe.

It has an elongated cylindrical body covered with silvery scales. The anal and ventral fins are red, while the dorsal and caudal fins are orange or brown. Head with a wide flattened forehead and large eyes. It grows up to 70 cm and weighs about 5-6 kg. The fish is omnivorous.

One of the few predators of the carp family.

In length, an adult reaches 80 cm and weighs up to 4 kg. The body is elongated with large and thick scales. The belly of a fish white color, sides - silver with a blue tint, back - blue-gray.

It lives in fresh, flowing and clean water bodies throughout almost the entire territory of Eurasia. Refers to commercial species of cyprinids.

A small fish of the carp family, growing on average up to 12-15 cm. The body is elongated with large dark gray scales on top and bluish below. On the sides are longitudinal stripes and bluish spots.

Lives in rivers and lakes clean water and sandy or rocky bottom greater territory Asia and Europe. Prefers food of animal origin: insects and their larvae, mollusks, benthic invertebrates. Minnows are rarely regarded as a trophy, and are often used as live bait to catch predators.

A small fish from the carp family. The body is elongated, covered with silvery scales with a bluish stripe on the sides. Length - 4-5 cm, weight up to 7 grams.

It is widely distributed in Europe and Asia, where it lives in rivers, quarries and small lakes. The fish feeds on larvae of insects and bugs, caviar of other fish. It is not a commercial fish, but is often used as bait for perch.

It is a low-value industrial fish due to low palatability and bony meat. The body of the fish is oblong with a pronounced hump, flattened laterally. The scales are enlarged silvery, the back is bluish-gray.

It lives in fresh water bodies of Europe and Asia, the bottom of which is rich in silt or clay. The size reaches 35 cm and weight - up to 1.2 kg. It feeds on plants, mollusks, beetle larvae and insects.

Refers to commercial species of cyprinids.

small beautiful aquarium fish.

Length - 8-10 cm, although some species reach 35 cm.

In the natural environment, it lives in Africa, South and Southeast Asia. All types of barbs are characterized by bright colors, many have transverse stripes. The fish are very active, unpretentious in content.

The disadvantage when kept with other species is that they are very cocky. Optimum temperature in the aquarium - 21-25 degrees and a volume of 100 liters. with moderate lighting and 20-30% water change.

Fish are schooling, it is desirable to keep from 4 pieces. Barbs are omnivorous, feeding on both animal and plant foods.

A small aquarium fish that lives in the upper layers of the water. The body length reaches 4.5 cm. In nature, it lives in Southeast Asia.

Depending on the species, the color of the zebrafish is varied. The fish can be blue, pink, yellow, etc. flowers with longitudinal stripes on the body. It is considered a cold-blooded fish, but it also feels great in an aquarium with a temperature of 26 degrees.

Labeo

Another type of aquarium representative of the carp family, whose homeland is the rivers and lakes of Thailand. It lives in the lower and middle layers of the aquarium.

The body is elongated black with a red tail. It grows at home up to 12 cm, in nature it can grow up to 30 cm. They act as a caretaker for the aquarium.

aquarium from 300 liters
temperature 24-26 degrees
good aeration, filtration and replacement 25%

There are no problems with nutrition: the fish eats dry, live food and substitutes perfectly. Gets along with almost all aquarium fish.

The carp family is one of the most large families fish on the planet. They are found in almost any pond and aquarium.

Carp is the most famous, but far from the only species of fish from the carp family. There are more than 2 thousand species of cyprinids in the world, including aquarium ones. 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 over 2,000 species in the carp family.

General information

The carp family has a common distinguishing feature- Absence of teeth on the jaws. The teeth are located inside the pharynx on the pharyngeal bones. The process of eating food involves taking food and pushing it inward, where the grinding takes place. Oral cavity mobile, lips flat, fleshy. Many individuals have one pair of antennae above the upper lip (except for the eight-whiskered 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 her eggs on flat stones or algae leaves. Eggs usually have a viscous sticky structure with rare exceptions. For example, in white carp, the future offspring drift in a stream of water.

The carp family is a commercial fish, even medium-sized species are popular with breeders and fishermen. about half known species bred in artificial reservoirs for further sale . These include:

carp;
rudd;
vobla;
silver carp, etc.

Barbs are 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 mention dates back to the 1st century AD. For the first time, Japanese specialists took up the selection, and then the Chinese. The list of aquarium breeds includes:

goldfish;
brachydanio;

The sizes of natural inhabitants range from 6 to 300 cm in length. This spread is characterized by a variety of species of cyprinids. But large representatives (more than 80 cm) are not so common. The most common species are medium in size. Dimensions mainly depend on the continent of 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 predominate.

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

living conditions

Cyprinids are predominantly freshwater species. Although there are some varieties that tolerate the salt 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 absolutely all cyprinids go to fresh waters for spawning.

Fish of this family are considered to be heat-loving., but some breeds adapt to climatic conditions, otherwise they would not be able to 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 heat-loving

The main condition for choosing a reservoir for living is the presence of a large amount of food. Cyprinids are predators for the most part, which means they have excellent appetite or even gluttony. Everything goes into the diet:

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

The peak of gluttony falls on the warm season. With a sharp drop in temperature, the appetite of fish decreases. IN winter months feeding intensity drops to a minimum and returns to normal only with the advent of spring.

Varieties of freshwater fish

Species freshwater fish from the Karpov family are countless, almost all representatives live in fresh water. But still, a list of varieties that are especially popular can be distinguished.

carps in nature

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

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

Large sizes are considered common features of carps.

Other species in the natural environment

Other species are also carp-shaped, differ in external characteristics and territory of residence:

Fish have different sizes, but everyone is subjected to mass fishing. Some are allowed on the ram, others on the bait. Some of them are bred in artificial reservoirs due to their pronounced taste and usefulness.

Aquarium cyprinids

Breeders managed to bring out a lot of 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 quite difficult to describe them all. The presented 15 species are popular among the Russian population and have characteristic features carp family.

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

It will be useful for any angler to find out which fish are included in the carp family, what features each representative of this large fish “family” has. After all, to which regions and countries you did not go, then everywhere you can meet the “relatives” of carp, which will most likely become your catch.

In the cyprinid family, there are many types of fish in addition to the carp itself.

Habitat and abundance

There are about 2000 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 species diversity predetermined the wide distribution of all cyprinids, whose habitat includes tropical and temperate zones, as well as the Arctic Circle. Thus, these fish are not characterized by a zonal distribution (distinguishes most freshwater fish), but a radial one. More precisely, representatives of this family live in reservoirs and water areas:

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

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

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

Features of the carp family

All types of carp fish differ significantly from each other both in appearance and size, and habits, taste preferences, lifestyle, habitat requirements, etc. However, from a biological point of view, they are united by the presence of the Weberian apparatus. This is a special organ, which is a set of movable bones (modified vertebrae) that go 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 horn formation at the top of the pharynx. All of them serve to grind food. While on the jaws, the fish of this family have no teeth. That is, they only capture food with their mouths, and its grinding occurs already in the pharynx. This is why these fish have rather fleshy lips. Moreover, many have well-developed lobes and have 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 of all cyprinids is quite mobile. In its upper part there are only premaxillary bones. Some species have antennae. And, as a rule, there are no more than two pairs of them.

The fins of the fish of this family consist of many segmented rays. Of these, the first and last are mostly unbranched, while the rest are often branched at the ends. Sometimes the last ray (for example, in the dorsal fin) is slightly thickened or resembles a spine and has notches along the posterior edge. The pelvic fins are located behind the pectorals and precisely in the abdominal part. The tail fin is divided into equal cavities. Usually it is 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 eats. In predators, the digestive tract is usually either the same as the length of 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.

Color features and sizes

Body coloration in cyprinids is predominantly monochromatic. Most popular scale colors:

silver;
golden;
greenish brown.

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

It is also noted that in many cyprinids, body color becomes brighter when they reach puberty. But for young people it's the other way around. The dark color of the body helps them to remain invisible to predators.

Depending on the habitat, cyprinids may have a different color.

The sizes of all cyprinids are quite diverse. Some adult representatives of this extensive 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, a giant barbel is a real carp “record holder”. This fish is common in Thailand and Vietnam. The length of her body can reach up to 3 m.

Habitat and food of cyprinids

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

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

various vegetation;
phytoplankton;
detritus (a layer at the bottom of reservoirs 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 do require a minimum amount of food.

Commercial carp fish

It's no secret that many representatives 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, quickly gain weight, and also differ in endurance and good health. palatability. The list of fish that are of the greatest commercial importance includes several hundred items. Among the passing forms:

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

One of the representatives of commercial cyprinids is vobla

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

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

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

Representatives of freshwater cyprinids

Types of carp

Having finished a short review of the whole family of cyprinids and having learned who is included in it, let's take a closer look at the carp itself. After all, this fish is of great interest to any angler.

It is customary to distinguish between several types of carps. They differ from each other appearance, habits, habitat, etc. At the same time, almost all types of carp are found in the reservoirs 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. Differs in a slightly more elongated body, structure and color of the scales. It also does not have a "tubercle" on the top of the head, which is typical for pond carp. Carp is more demanding on habitat conditions, it needs water with a high oxygen content. That is why he lives in the rivers. Rarely reaches large sizes - as a rule, its weight does not exceed 6-8 kg. The largest number individuals of carp lives in the basin of the Caspian Sea.

Carp can be called the progenitor of the pond carp

Scaled (common) carp

It bears a strong resemblance to 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 called the “hump.” It can reach a weight of up to 30-40 kg. Scaled carp is less whimsical to habitat conditions. At the same time, it grows and gains mass faster than the rest of its “relatives”. It is also believed that scaly carp is more hardy and prolific 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) is found near the head, fins and tail. - a real "record holder". Its weight reaches 50-60 kg, and the length of the body in some individuals exceeds 1 m.

naked carp

It is easy to guess that this representative of 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. Otherwise, the naked carp resembles its mirror "brother".

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

koi carp

The koi carp is becoming more and more widespread in the reservoirs of Eurasia. This species also has an artificial origin. Initially, this fish was bred in Japan. Valued for its unique coloring. Mainly white body with orange spots. However, there are currently more than 80 koi breeds, which include 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 water bodies where the oxygen content in water is only 0.5 mg / l.

It is quite 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 births of oil, gas and coal were just appearing on Earth.
Cyprinids spawn mainly in fresh water. However, some species can also breed in areas with a high salt content.

One of the most predatory representatives of cyprinids is asp. This fish loves to feast on bleak, gudgeon and fry. Moreover, the asp is very unusual in hunting for its prey. He does it alone. As a rule, it slowly creeps up to the flock and breaks into its middle at high speed, trying to stun several individuals at once with its tail.
Most cyprinids not only like to search for food in silt deposits, but can also hide there, finding shelter for the duration of the action. adverse factors(lack of oxygen, freezing, deterioration of the food supply, and many others). Moreover, carp is capable of digging deepest 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 features of carp fishing:

Carp. Carp fish. Carp family

Cyprinids are the richest family in terms of the number of species, both among freshwater and marine fish. There are more than 1,700 species belonging to 275 genera, grouped into nine subfamilies, in the cyprinid family. Their body is covered with cycloid scales, but some are naked. The mouth of cyprinids is usually retractable. The crescent-shaped lower pharyngeal bones have well-developed pharyngeal teeth arranged in 1-3 rows. Antennae in carp fish are either absent or present, but not more than 1-2 pairs - an exception is the eight-whiskered gudgeon. The swim bladder in cyprinids is usually large, consisting of 2-3 chambers.

Cyprinids have a radial distribution, they are found in tropical, temperate zones, cross the Arctic Circle. These are the waters of Europe and the British Isles, Asia and the islands of the western part of the Malay Archipelago, North America and Africa. Cyprinids are absent in the water bodies of South and Central America, the Antilles, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and New Guinea. Currently, in the waters of Australia there are carp, tench, silver carp, roach, brought from England at the end of the 19th century.
In the reservoirs of the Murmansk region, there are three types of cyprinids - ide, roach and bream.
The ide has a limited distribution. Rarely found in Lake Imandra. It was the subject of fishing in Lake Ivanovskoye (Vulyavr), in the Kovdozero system and Kanozero.
The distribution of roach on the Kola Peninsula is mainly limited to water bodies of the White Sea basin. She is absent from Umbozero. There is very little of it in Imandra and Kanozero. There is a known case of catching roach in Lovozero. It is found in significant quantities in Ivanovsky (Vulyavr), in the Kovdozero system of lakes.
The Kovdozero reservoir is known so far as the northernmost reservoir where bream is common. Its population here is small. The bream was caught as a by-catch along with other cyprinids in the area of Tupya Bay, Lopskaya Zapani, Severny settlement, there is in Mechozero, connected with the reservoir by a channel, and also in Notozero.

Cyprinids are relatively heat-loving fish. The number of species decreases towards the north. For example, 142 species of cyprinids are known in the Yangtze, 50 in the Amur, and only 10 in the Lena basin. A small number of species pass beyond the Arctic Circle in Eurasia - roach, dace, ide, crucian carp, minnow. The same pattern is observed in North America.
Living conditions in water bodies are very different, and a huge variety of cyprinids is associated with this. Their length ranges from 6-8 to 150-180 cm. A giant barbel can reach 3 m. In North America, cyprinids up to 10 cm long predominate. In the reservoirs of Europe, most of the fish have a length of 20-35 cm. up to 10 cm long, and the largest, more than 80 cm long - carp, Aral barbel, yellow-cheek, black and white carp.
Many of the herbivorous fish of Southeast Asia - grass carp, white bream, cirrins, rohu and other species reach a very large length, up to 60-120 cm, while the length of the largest herbivorous fish in European reservoirs is about 40 cm.
The color of the body of cyprinids is monotonous, mainly limited to tones of bright silver, golden and olive-brown. Silver-colored fish predominate in the waters of Europe. The fins are usually either greyish or yellowish or reddish in varying intensity.
The brightest and most diverse color of Indian and African cyprinids. Particularly noteworthy are various puntios, colored in cherry, yellowish-orange and olive-green tones with stripes along the body, characteristic dark spots, cardinals, rasboras, striped zebrafish and some other species. Many of the bright silver cyprinids of North America have a dark stripe along their body, and may often have spots on the upper body.

Coloration is closely related to the behavior and habitat of the species. So, fish that keep in the water column have a silvery tint, and golden, olive-brown, spotted color is characteristic of fish living in the bottom layers. A strip along the body is found in many small fish that lead a schooling lifestyle. For most, color changes with age. In older fish, it tends to become brighter. In many species during the breeding season, the color also becomes brighter, sometimes completely changing. Individuals may appear, devoid of color, the so-called albinos, and, conversely, brightly colored - chromists.
Artificial selection has made it possible to develop special forms that differ from individuals of their own species in color. An example is the golden orff, orange-red ide, golden tench. As a result of many years of breeding work with silver carp, it was possible to bring out decorative, so-called goldfish, various in shape and color - telescopes, comets, veil-tails, lion's head and others.
The body shape of cyprinids is mostly fish-like. In some, the body is quite high, laterally compressed - mustard, bream, silver bream. In demersal species, it is often slightly flattened in the dorsal-abdominal direction, especially in the anterior part of the body - an ordinary gudgeon, marinka. In most cyprinids, the abdomen is rounded, but in some it is compressed and even slightly pointed, so that the scales covering the body from the sides converge and form a small keel in this area, like in asp and top.
By the nature of nutrition and the structure of the oral apparatus, the digestive tract, cyprinids are very diverse. Some of them have an upper mouth, numerous stamens on the first gill arch, feed either on plankton and algae, or on small invertebrates. In many species, the mouth is terminal; they get food in the water column or among thickets of plants; a similar position of the mouth is also characteristic of predatory fish. Bottom-feeding fish have lower mouths. Lips are more or less developed around the mouth. They are especially well formed in species with a lower mouth, which forage in soft, muddy ground. The lips are fleshy, covered with numerous papillae.
In species that scrape off fouling from various substrates - stones, dense soil, twigs, lower jaw lined with cartilage and covered with a strong pointed horn cap. These include podusts, khramuli, some types of marinok, Vladislav gudgeon living in the Amur basin, and others. These species adhere to dense, usually rocky soils, and live mostly in mountain rivers and streams.
In species that forage in soft soils, the mouth is able to strongly protrude and resembles a tube that penetrates deep into the silt and sucks in various small invertebrates - pusher mosquito larvae, oligochaetes. Deeper than other fish of our fauna, carp penetrate into the silt - more than 12 cm, crucian carp - 11 cm, less deep tench - 7 cm, bream - 5 cm. Cyprinids have no teeth on their jaws. They only take food with their mouth, which is crushed in the pharynx when the food passes between the millstone and the pharyngeal teeth.

The digestive tract in carp fish is a tube, the stomach is absent, therefore, there is no gastric enzyme pepsin that breaks down proteins. The stomach is a reservoir where food usually stays for quite some time. long time. Its disappearance in cyprinids is due to the need to ensure the passage through the intestinal tract of a large amount of plentiful, but low-calorie food, which feeds on most cyprinids. The length of the intestine varies widely in different species of cyprinids. In predators and benthivorous species, the intestines are shorter than the length of the body, in omnivores it is equal to it or slightly larger, in herbivorous species it is 2-4 times the length of the body. The silver carp has a particularly long intestine, more than 10 times the length of the body.
Cyprinids eat a wide variety of food - benthic organisms from the surface and from the depths of the soil, organisms of the water column, higher vegetation, detritus, fish, as well as flying insects that accidentally fall into the water.
The nature of nutrition certain types very different. For each species, the composition of food changes with age, seasons of the year and depends on the food supply of the reservoir. Juveniles feed on zooplankton or, more rarely, small zoobenthos. Feeding on vegetation and invertebrates living on it is typical for cyprinids close to their original forms.
In the waters of Europe, most cyprinids feed on invertebrates living in the ground and on various substrates, a minority feed on zooplankton and air insects. Many use a variety of animal and plant food sources. There are very few exclusively herbivorous or predatory fish.
Among the predatory cyprinids of Southeast Asia there are small species, for example, triangular, up to 20 cm long and large - skygazer, up to 100 cm, yellow-cheeked, up to 200 cm. In the waters of Europe, asp is a typical predator. This is one of the largest fish among European cyprinids, it reaches 60-80 cm.
The breeding ecology of cyprinids is very diverse. The difference between individuals of different sexes in most species is manifested in the fact that females are larger than males. But in some species, males guard eggs, in which case they are larger than females. In general, males are often more brightly colored than females, especially during the spawning season. By this time, tubercles of keratinized epithelium appear on the head and body, usually they are milky white in color, they are called "pearl rash", marriage attire.
Most cyprinids live in fresh waters, but some species are able to tolerate moderate salinity, and one species, the Far Eastern rudd, is found even in oceanic salinity, but they all lay eggs in fresh water. Species that live in brackish areas of the seas and go to spawn in rivers are called semi-anadromous. Some of them - roach, ram, bream, carp, enter the lower parts of the rivers, others make significant movements. In the latter case, the breeding attire of spawning spawners is more pronounced.
Carp spawn quite a large number of eggs. No viviparous cyprinids were found. Cyprinids of temperate latitudes northern hemisphere spawn in spring-summer period. Females of some species lay eggs simultaneously, while others - in several stages. As we move to low latitudes, the percentage of spawning species in portions increases, and the spawning period is extended.
In most cyprinids, caviar has a sticky shell, different types lay it on a different substrate: some - on vegetation, others - on stones, others - on sand. Some cyprinids spawn in rivers, and the eggs spawned by them develop in the water column, carried by the current. The shell of such caviar is not sticky, transparent and dense enough. All bitterlings and one species of gudgeon lay their eggs in the mantle cavity. bivalves.
The plant substrate, flooded with hollow waters, is found in relatively calm, weakly flowing or stagnant parts of the reservoir. In the Volga delta, such areas of terrestrial vegetation, flooded with hollow waters, are called hollows, and at the mouth of the Don - borrowings. The cyprinids that breed on the fields spawn on vegetation, the eggs are in a layer that is relatively rich in oxygen. After a few days, larvae hatch from the eggs. Vigorously moving their tail, they rise into the upper layers of water, stumble upon the leaves and twigs of plants, stick to them with the help of a secret secreted by the "cement" glands located on the head of the larva.

The larvae develop using the reserves of the yolk sac, and even before it is completely consumed, they switch to an active lifestyle. They detach from plants, the swim bladder fills with air, and juveniles begin to feed on ciliates, rotifers, small crustaceans, gradually switching to food characteristic of a particular species. With the beginning of the decline in the level of flood waters, the fry leave the hollow, go into the riverbeds, where they continue to feed and grow. Juveniles of semi-anadromous fish roll down to the pre-estuarial areas of the sea rich in food. The species that lay eggs on vegetation in our waters include semi-anadromous species - vobla, ram, bream, carp, lake-river species - roach, silver bream, bleak, pond species - crucian carp, tench, top. In larvae, respiration is provided by a well-developed network of blood vessels in the fin fold and on the yolk sac. As the larvae grow, these temporary respiratory organs are replaced by gills.
Many river species of cyprinids lay their eggs on stones located in places with strong currents. Caviar sticks to stones, but usually after a while it breaks off and is carried by the current into the cracks between the stones, under the stones, where it develops. The fecundity of these fish, as a rule, is less than that of fish that lay eggs on vegetation, the eggs are somewhat larger, incubation period longer due to lower temperatures. The hatched larvae are larger and more developed than the larvae from eggs laid on vegetation, and in contrast to the latter, they avoid light. They do not have adhesive organs; circulatory system, performing respiratory function, is also less developed. After hatching from eggs, the larvae usually hide under stones or other shaded places, well washed by water, with a high oxygen content. After sucking the yolk sac and filling the swim bladder with air, they begin to lead the same way of life as the larvae from eggs laid on vegetation. This group of cyprinids includes semi-anadromous fish that rise quite high in rivers for spawning - carp, fish or syrt, shemaya, and also typically river fish- dace, chub, podust, marinka and many others. Most cyprinids do not care about their offspring, but still there are a number of species among them that protect eggs and even juveniles.
External fertilization of eggs, close terms of reproduction of species belonging to one environmental group, facilitates interspecific and even intergeneric crossing of cyprinids in natural conditions. In the waters of Europe, hybrids of carp and golden carp, rudd and bleak, rudd and silver bream, rudd and bream, roach and bream, etc. are quite common. Some of them are probably fertile, for example, a hybrid of roach and bream. Sometimes naturally occurring hybrids capable of reproduction are mistaken for independent species. Several such species have been described from water bodies of North America.
The commercial value of carp fish is great in Russia, as well as in the countries of Asia and Africa. In the USSR, semi-anadromous cyprinids are predominantly harvested - roach, ram, carp, bream, shemaya, fish, in the basins of the Azov and Caspian Seas.
In reservoirs, bream hunt in large quantities. Bream and roach are the main fish catch in the lakes. Carp are caught in ponds and small shallow lakes.
The most common object of fish farming in Europe is carp, a breed bred by man. The ancestor of the modern European carp is the Danube carp. In addition to carp, tench, golden and silver carp, orfu are grown in ponds. Common carp, carp are the most popular pond fish in the world. They are bred in most countries of Asia, Australia, acclimatized in the lakes of the USA and Canada.
Of particular interest is the content of herbivorous fish in cooling ponds at thermal power plants. Such ponds are heavily overgrown with vegetation, and the water exchange in them is disturbed: a large amount of water stagnates, and a small amount flowing water fails to cool down. Herbivorous fish planted in such ponds eat all the vegetation and grow well. In the same way, herbivorous fish cleanse the water channels drawn in the south of our country.
Many carp fish are the object of fishing for amateur fishermen.

Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) - a close relative of salmon and whitefish, lives only in the Northern Hemisphere. It inhabits clear cold-water rivers and lakes, preferring water bodies with pebbly and rocky bottoms. It can form river, lake-river and purely lacustrine forms.

Muksun

Muksun (Coregonus muksun) is one of the most valuable northern commercial fish of the whitefish family. Muksun lives in almost all major rivers Siberia - Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei, Lena. Muksun reaches a length of 0.75 meters and weighs up to 8 kg.

Chir

Chir (Coregonus nasus) belongs to the whitefish family of the salmon order. Chir is one of the common fish species in the Yenisei and Ob systems. It lives mainly in the Arctic Circle and next to it. Chir, or as it is sometimes called shokur, has a slender, fleshy, laterally compressed body.

Ide

Ide (Leuciscus idus)- fish of the carp family. Distributed in water bodies of Europe and most of Siberia. In length, the ide usually reaches 0.7 m, weight - 3-4 kg. In some reservoirs of Siberia, ides reach a weight of up to 8-9 kg. Color - gray-silver, darker on the back than on the belly.

carp

Karasi (Carassius) is a genus of fish in the carp family. The dorsal fin is long, the pharyngeal teeth are single row. There are two types of crucians - golden, or ordinary, crucian ( Carassius carassius) and silver carp ( Carassius auratus).

Dace

Yelets (Leuciscus leuciscus)- a species of fish of the carp family. In appearance and habits, the dace occupies a certain intermediate position between the ide and the roach. This is an oblong fish, laterally compressed, with medium-sized scales. In Siberia, especially large dace-“herrings” weighing 300 and even 400 grams are occasionally caught.

Ruff

Ruff (Gymnocephalus cernuus)- a species of fish from the perch family. This is a freshwater fish that lives in the waters of Europe and northern Asia (mostly in Siberia). The name of the ruff was given because he ruffles all his fins when he feels danger.

Bream

Bream (Abramis brama)- a representative of the genus of bream from the family of carp fish. It lives throughout Europe east of the Pyrenees and north of the Alps. In the 70s of the last century, it began to spread widely and now lives in almost all regions of Western Siberia.

Tench

Tench (Tinca Tinca)- fish of the carp family. In Europe, this species is a fairly common representative of river and lake fauna. To the east of the Urals, it is less common, but the boundary of the continuous range of tench reaches the middle reaches of the Yenisei and its tributaries.

Burbot

Burbot (Lota lota)- the only freshwater fish from the cod family. Distributed in the rivers of Europe, Siberia, North America. It reaches a size of up to 2 meters in length and a weight of 20-25 kg. The usual size is 500-700 grams.

Nelma

Nelma (Stenodus leucichthys nelma)- fish of the salmon family, the whitefish genus. Nelma is the most major representative whitefish, reaches a length of up to 1.5 m and weighs up to 50 kg. Average weight nelma ranges from 5 to 10 kg.

Perch

Perch (lat. Perca). Perch is one of the most common fish in our country and Siberia in particular. It inhabits rivers, lakes, ponds and estuaries flowing into the sea. In Siberia, perch is found everywhere up to the Lena basin in the east.

Sturgeon

Sturgeon (Acipenser)- a genus of fish of the sturgeon family. It lives in the rivers of Siberia from the Ob to the Kolyma and further to the Indigirka. A large number of sturgeons are found in the Ob basin - A. baeri and partly A. stenorhynchus, in the Yenisei basin the same two species.

Gudgeon

Minnow (Gobio gobio). The Siberian minnow is a subspecies of the common minnow. It is quite widely found in Siberia, except for its northern parts. It reaches a length of 22 cm and a weight of 200 grams, but is rarely larger than 10-15 cm.