FISH OF THE CARP FAMILY (CYPRINIDAE) IN THE WATER BODIES OF UKRAINE - V. V. Zamorov - 2015

ORDER CYPRINIFORMES

FAMILY CYPRINIDAE

Body shape varies considerably. The body is covered with cycloid scales, rarely naked. The upper margin of the Mouth is bordered exclusively by the premaxillary bones. Teeth are absent on the jaws. Pharyngeal teeth are arranged in one to three rows, few in number, with the largest in the outer row where there are no more than eight. There is a specialized grinding pad which, together with the pharyngeal teeth, is used by the fish to grind food. The swim bladder is typically large, consisting of several (two to three) chambers; its anterior part is free and not enclosed in a bony capsule. The dorsal and anal fins usually have two to four unbranched rays; the first ray is often very small, almost rudimentary, while the last ray in some species is thickened, ossified, and spine-like, sometimes with a serrated posterior margin. Paired fins typically have one to two unbranched rays. All other fin-supporting rays are branched.

Cyprinids are distributed in fresh and partially brackish waters across Europe, Asia, Indochina, the Philippines, Africa, and North America, but are absent in Central and South America, Madagascar, and Australia. They were introduced to Australia as late as the end of the 19th century.

The carp family (Cyprinidae) comprises 200–275 genera. In Ukraine, 31 genera are represented.