Cyprinus carpio

Cyprinus carpio
Common Carp – Cyprinus carpio
FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
CyprinidaeCyprinus carpioLinnaeus1758Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Unique Characters: A large and serrated spine-like ray at front of dorsal and anal fins. Two barbels on either side of upper jaw. Usually 35-39 lateral line scales. Each scale is dark edged with a black spot at the base.

Cyprinus carpio Barbels
Cyprinus carpio Barbels

Similar Species:

Koi, Cyprinus rubrofuscus. Lateral line scales 29-33 + 2 or 3; 18-22.5 branched dorsal rays; silvery body with red pelvic, anal, and lower caudal lobes (wild populations)

Cyprinus rubrofuscus
Koi – Cyprinus rubrofuscus

Goldfish Carassius auratus. Lacks barbels. Usually 28-32 lateral line scales. Lacks dark edging on scales.

Carassius auratus
Goldfish – Carassius auratus, wild color

Gallery

Cyprinus carpio
Cyprinus carpio – Kaitlin Kovacs, U.S. Geological Survey
Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio, "Mirror/Leather" Carp
Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio, “Mirror/Leather” Carp, Lake Crabtree, Wake Co., NC, photograph by Tim Aldridge, 12/01/2023
Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio, "Mirror/Leather" Carp
Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio, “Mirror/Leather” Carp, Lake Crabtree, Wake Co., NC, photograph by Tim Aldridge, 12/01/2023