CARPS

CARPS, or carp-like fish, are slender stream-lined fish almost entirely found in fresh water, although a few occasionally go into brackish water, as in the Baltic Sea.

They are slender, with silvery scales, a single dorsal fin set at about the midpoint of the body, and a forked caudal fin. There are no teeth in the jaws, but these may develop a horny cutting edge for scraping algae or may bear disc-like lips that act as suckers. Oneor two pairs of short barbels may be present at the corners of the mouth. Mastication of food, such as insects, plants, and detritus, is achieved by a set of teeth in the throat, the pharyngeal teeth.

The common carp Cyprinus carpio, a native of Asia, was introduced into Europe, presumably by monks who kept these fish in monastery tanks, in about the 12th century. In Japan, the common carp has for centuries been regarded as a symbol of fertility, but the earliest record of this fish is from China in 500 BC. Family: Cyprinidae, Order: Cypriniformes, Class: Pisces.