Family Cyprinidae

Carps and Minnows

Selected Characters: No jaw teeth, 1-3 rows of pharyngeal teeth; no adipose fin; barbels sometimes present.

This huge family lives almost exclusively in freshwater, though some of its members stray into brackish water. Cyprinids are found in Africa, Eurasia and North America. There are more than two thousand species in this family, but the only species that has been recorded in Puget Sound is the Common Carp, which may reach lengths of about 75 cm. Introduced to fresh waters in our region, this species rarely visits Puget Sound.

Puget Sound Species

Cyprinus carpio Common Carp