| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| carp |
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| hardy freshwater fish, Cyprinus carpio, the largest member of the minnow family. A native of Asia, the carp was introduced into Europe and America and has become so well established that it is called the English sparrow of the fishes. Many variations in color and form have developed. Carp have four barbels (“whiskers”) around the mouth and are usually dark greenish or brown (occasionally yellowish or silvery), with red on some of the fins. Most carp are scaled, although the mirror carp has only a few scattered scales and the leather carp has none. Carp may reach a length of 3 ft (91 cm) and a weight of 25 lbs (11.3 kg). They are bottom feeders, eating chiefly aquatic plants but also insects and small animals; their habit of rooting in the mud often makes the water unfit for the feeding and spawning of other fish. However, they are valued commercially as food fish, especially in Europe, where they are sometimes bred and raised for this purpose. Ornamental varieties are bred in Japan. Carp are classified in the phylum Chordata, class Osteichthyes, order Cypriniformes, family Cyprinidae. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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