Overview of Carps and Minnows, Family Cyprinidae
Minnows are an amazingly diverse part of the freshwater ecosystems of North America, though not all of the “native” species are actually native. This article gives a quick overview of the Cyprinidae family, which will be explored more in later writings.
Native Species
The family Cyprinidae is an absolutely huge family of fish with over 3000 species spread throughout a whopping 368 genera. Less than 10% of species are native to North America (about 241 species over 41 genera). These genera are:
- Acrocheilus (The Chiselmouth)
- Agosia (The Longfin Dace)
- Campostoma (Stonerollers)
- Chrosomus (Daces)
- Clinostomus (Daces)
- Couesius (The Lake Chub)
- Cyprinella (Satinfin Shiners)
- Dionda (Desert Minnows)
- Eremichthys (Desert Dace)
- Erimystax (Slender Chubs)
- Exoglossum (Cutlip Minnows)
- Gila (Western Chubs)
- Hemitremia (The Flame Chub)
- Hesperoleucus (The California Roach)
- Hybognathus (Silvery Minnows)
- Hybopsis (Chubs)
- Iotichthys (The Least Chub)
- Lavinia (Hitches)
- Lepidomeda (Spinedaces)
- Luxilus (Highscale Shiners)
- Lythrurus (Finescale Shiners)
- Macrhybopsis (Blacktail Chubs)
- Margariscus (Pearl Daces)
- Meda (The Spikedace)
- Moapa (The Moapa Dace)
- Mylocheilus (The Peamouth)
- Mylopharodon (The Hardhead)
- Nocomis (Chubs)
- Notemigonus (The Golden Shiner)
- Notropis (Eastern Shiners)
- Opsopoeodus (The Pugnose Minnow)
- Oregonichthys (Oregon Chubs)
- Orthodon (The Sacremento Blackfish)
- Pararhinichthys (The Cheat Minnow)
- Phenacobius (Suckermouth Minnows)
- Pimephales (Bluntnose Minnows)
- Plagopterus (The Woundfin)
- Platygobio (The Flathead Chub)
- Pogonichthys (Splittails)
- Pteronotropis (Shiners)
- Ptychocheilus (The Colorado Pikeminnow)
Phew, certainly a mouthful. Most of these are smaller, unassuming fishes and many never exceed 4 inches (very few even reach 10-12 inches). The largest native minnow, the Colorado Pikeminnow, may get up to 72 inches though. These fish range from east coast to west coast, from Canada to Texas and Mexico. There really are no useful general statements on temperature, hardness, or pH.
Non-Native Species
The above list seemingly misses some of the most widespread minnows in the US: the “carps”. These include:
- Carassius auratus (Goldfish)
- Carassius carassius (Crucian carp)
- Ctenopharyngodon idella (Grass carp)
- Cyprinus carpio (Common carp)
- Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Silver carp)
- Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (Bighead carp)
- Mylopharyngodon piceus (Black carp)
None of these fish are native to North America or indeed any of the Americas! Common Carp, for example, were introduced in the US back in the 1830’s to serve as a food fish (a role they are not widely known for these days). Grass Carp have been introduced in recent years to try and curb overpopulating aquatic weeds. Though the specimens introduced were intended to be sterile, triploid fish, they were confirmed in 2013 to be breeding in the Great Lakes.
The Crucian Carp is native to Eurasia and the rest are strictly from Asia. These fish have established large, stable populations all over the US, out-competing our US equivalents: the Suckers (family Catostomidae).
Final Thoughts
From the 1.5 inch Blackmouth Shiner to the 39 inch Hardhead (or the 71 inch Black Carp!), Cyprinidae are a diverse family of fish, ranging in sizes and water preferences. Drab to colorful, retiring to outgoing, these fish vary from aquarium fish to those only suited to outdoor ponds. Future articles will investigate smaller groups of fish to provide more useful information to prospective owners.
Sources
Fish Identification, Fishbase
First evidence of grass carp recruitment in the Great Lakes Basin,
Duane C. Chapman, Jeremiah J. Davis, Jill A. Jenkins, Patrick M. Kocovsky, Jeffrey G. Miner, John Farver, P. Ryan Jackson
Common Carp, Aquatic Invasive Species
