4.1.1.1 Family: Cyprinidae

4.1.1.1 Family : Cyprinida
  1. Body with scales, generally compressed abdomen rounded or cutting.
  2. Eyes never covered with skin.
  3. Lips usually thin, not with papillae, developed in various stages. Sometimes absent from one of the jaws (or) closely infesting both jaws or reflected from one or the other.
  4. A labial fold continuous (or) interrupted present. Occasionally a few genera have a cartilaginous covering to either of the lips or both.
  5. No subocular spines. Opercular bones well developed.
  6. Barbels one or two pairs, present (or) absent.
  7. Last undivided dorsal fin ray osseuous or articulated
  8. No adipose dorsal fin.
  9. Pharyngeal teeth one to 3 rows, never more than eight teeth in any one row.
  10. Lateral line complete (or) incomplete.
  11. Air bladder usually large and divided into anterior and posterior chamber not surrounded by a bony capsule.
This family consists of five sub families and 58 genera. The subfamilies are namely.
1. Leuciscinae
2. Oreininae (= schizothoracinae)
3. Garrinae
4. Danioninae (= Rasborininae)
5. Cyprininae

1. Subfamily : Leuciscinae (Hypophthalmichthyinae)
Abdomen strongly keeled from breast to vent.
    • No barbells and maxillary foramen
    • Scales don’t extend to interorbital space
    • Epibranchial organ present
Genus : Hypophthalmichthys
Species : i) H. molitrix ii) H. nobilis

2. Subfamily : Danioninae (= Rasborininae)
Small (or) medium sized bilvery with an abdominal keel usually extending upto the level of pectoral fins.
  1. A symphyseal knob on lower jaw may be present (or) absent
  2. Danionin notch when present is a large and peculiarly shaped indentation in the medial margin of the mandibles (absent in Horadandia)
  3. Mouth obligue, terminal (or) directed upwards.
  4. Pharyngeal teeth in one to 3 rows.
  5. Dorsal fin without osseous ray usually with seven branched rays, placed in posterior half of body behind pelvic fin base.
  6. Lateral line complete and curved downwards in lower half of caudal peduncle (absent in Horadandia)
Genus: Which has 16 numbers of genera
  1. Securicula gora – only one species
  2. Salmostoma spp – which consists of 12 species
  3. Aspidoparia – consists of two species
1. A. Jaya 2. A. morar

4. Barilius spp – consists of 17 species
5. Inlecypris auropurpureus – only one species
6. Chela – consists of 4 species

1. C. Cachisus sub genera
2. C. fasciatus 1. Chela
3. C. laubuca 2. Allochela
4. C. dadyburjori 3. Neochela

7. Esomus which consist of 5 species

E. ahli
E.altus
E.barbatus
E. danricus
E. thermoicos
8. Danio which consist of 12 species
9. Brachydanio which consist of 7 species
10. Horadandia atukorali. Only one species
11. Microrasbora – which has 3 species
12. Danionella translucida – only one species
13. Rasbora – consists of 7 species
14. Rasboroides vaterifloris – only one species
15. Bengala elanga - only one sp.
16. Amblypharyngodon – 5 species

3. Subfamily: Cyprininae

1. Body generally elongated (or) oval
2. Head and body compressed former without scales.
3. Abdominal edge rounded, sometimes compressed into a sharp

keel like edge.

4. Mouth mostly protractile and always tooth less.
5. Jaws smooth or with a horny covering
6. Barbels one (or) 2 pairs present (or) absent
7. Dorsal fin with (or) without spines which may be smooth (or)
serrated and with 7 to 30 branched rays.
8. Anal fin short with 5 to 9 branched rays
9. Lateral line complete (or) incomplete, generally running in middle

of the body.

It consist of 32 genera namely
  1. Crenopharyngodon idella – only one species
  2. Cyprinus sp. – only one species
1. Cyprinus carpio carpio
2. C. carpio communis (scale carp)
3. C. carpio specularis (mirror carp)
4. C. carpio nudus (Leather carp)

3. Carassius sp. – 2 species – Gold fish
1. carassius auratus
2. carassius carassius

4. Tinca tinca - only one species Commonly known as ‘Tench’
5. Thynnichthys sandkhol - only one species
6. Capoeta Capoeta - only one species
7. Tor spp. – which has 9 species. Commonly called as “Mahseer”
Important species are

1. Tor khudree
2. T. mosal
3. T. mussullah
4. T. putitora
5. T. tor
  1. Naziritor spp. – two species
  2. Neolissochilus – It consist of 11 species
  3. Osteobrama - nine species including 1 subspecies
  4. Cyclochelichthys apogon - only one species
  5. Rohree ogilbii - only one species
  6. Mystacoleucus - two species
  7. Poropuntius - six species
  8. Chagunius – three species
  9. Dreichthys cosuatis - only one species
  10. Puntius – consist of 75 species
  11. Sawbwa resplendens - only one species
  12. Hampala macrolepidota - only one species
  13. Gononproktoptenus - consist of 10 species
  14. Semiplotus spp – consist of 4 species (commonly known as king-fish)
  15. Scaphiodonichthys burmanicus – single species
  16. Osteochilichthys – 4 species
  17. Cyprinion – two species
  18. Kantaka brevidorsalis - single species
  19. Labiobarbus leptocheilus – single species
  20. Osetochilus hasselri – single species
  21. Cirrhinus – which has 5 species
1, cirrhinus cirrhosus Sub genera
2, C. fulungee 1. Henicorhynchus
3, C. mrigala 2. Cirrhinus
4, C.reba 3. Cirrhinus
5, C. macrops

29. Catla catla – only one species
30. Labeo – consist of 28 species

Important species are
1. Labeo rohita
2. L. konitus
3. L. dussimieri
4. L. calbasu
5. L. beta

31. Schismatorhynchos nukta

32. Hgoralabiosa - three species

3. Subfamily: Oreininae (= Schizothoracinae)

( Snow Trouts, snow carps and snow minnows)
1. mouth inferior or slightly anterior
2. A suctorial disc on chin may be present
3. Pharyngeal teeth in two or three rows
4. Dorsal fin with or without spines
5. Scales very small
6. A tile – like row of scales present enclosing vent and anal fin base.

It consist of 8 genera

1. Schizothorax – Four species
2. Schizothoraichthys – 13 species
3. Schizopygopsis stoliczkae – only one species
4. Diprychus maculates – single species
5. Phychobarbus corirostris – single species
6. Schizocypris brucei - single species
7. Gymnocypris biswasi – single species
8. Lepidopygopsis typus – single species

4. Sub family: Garrinae

    • Mouth inferior
    • Suctorial disc formed by the lower lip on ventral surface of head present (or) absent
    • Pectoral fin laterally inserted
    • Upper and lower lip may (or) may not be connected
    • Upper lip continuous with skin and snout and crenulated
    • No groove between upper lip and snout
It consist of two Genus

1. Garra sp – 38 species

2. Crosso cheilus – 3 species
Last modified: Tuesday, 13 March 2012, 7:02 AM