FreshwaterBrackish
Common carp
Cyprinus carpio
Cyprinidae, Cyprininae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 120 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 36,180 liters
- Diet
- Missing
Know what is missing? Suggest it in the app.
Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Czechia, Georgia, Hungary, and 10 more countries.
Introduced to Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, and 107 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Inhabits warm, deep, slow-flowing and still waters such as lowland rivers and large, well vegetated lakes. Hardy and tolerant of a wide variety of conditions but generally favor large water bodies with slow flowing or standing water and soft bottom sediments. Thrive in large turbid rivers. Most active at dusk and dawn. Both adults and juveniles feed on a variety of benthic organisms and plant material. Breeds along shores or in backwaters. Adults often undertake considerable spawning migration to suitable backwaters and flooded meadows. Larvae survive only in very warm water among shallow submerged vegetation. Occurs at depths of 200 cm; not recommended for home aquariums.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Carpio carpio gibbosus
- Carpio vulgaris
- Cyprinus acuminatus
- Cyprinus alepidotus
- Cyprinus angulatus
- Cyprinus atrovirens
In other languages
- Karpe
- Karp
- Karpe, Læderkarpe, Skælkarpe, Spejlkarpe
- Karppi
- Aischgrund carp, Amur carp, Amur wild carp, Asian carp, Blubber lips, Calico carp, Carp, Chinese carp, Edible carp, Euro, European carp, German carp, Grass carp, Great carp, Koi, Koi carp, Leather carp, Mirror carp, Mud sucker, Nishiki-koi, Scale carp, Wild carp, Wild common carp
Articles
All articles
Velvet and dropsy4 min read
Velvet is a fast-moving parasite. Dropsy is a sign that something is seriously wrong inside the fish. How to recognize them, and what you can do.
How to set up an Asian aquarium5 min read
Two aquariums from Southeast Asia: calm forest streams and peat swamps with soft, brown water, and fast mountain streams with cool, oxygen-rich water.
How to set up an aquarium from Australia and New Guinea4 min read
The home of rainbowfish: water, substrate, plants and light for rainbowfish, blue-eyes and peacock gudgeons, with a long aquarium and open water in the middle.
How to set up a European aquarium5 min read
A coldwater aquarium with European fish and plants, without a heater. The water follows the seasons, and summer heat is the biggest problem.