Contents Index of fishes General parts of a fish
	Kelvin K P Lim and Peter K L Ng

Family Cyprinidae About the family in general Genus Cyprinus Photo: Francis Lim Common Carp Cyprinus carpio Ikan Lee Koh, Primarily freshwater fish; 100 cm; oviparous; omnivorous; solitary or gregarious; near-bottom dweller. Introduced, common pond-culture fish. Rural ponds and reservoirs. The portly carp is usually dark olive. It has a long history of association with man (since before 1,000 BC), having been introduced to many parts of the world, and many domesticated varieties have been produced, of which the kaleidoscopic Koi is the most well known. Its origins are uncertain. The breeding and sale of high quality Koi with good pedigree is a booming business here. The Koi is the national fish of Japan. Although wild carps have been known to breed in the tropics, it does not seem to have established itself as a feral fish in Singapore. The carp is a long-lived fish, with a life-span of 40 to 50 years (there is even one that is supposed to be 200 years old in Japan) being recorded for some captive specimens. Unlike the goldfish, the carp has a pair of barbels. Because of its long history with man, there is much folklore associated with the carp.

Introduction Freshwater habitats Fishes in Singapore Conservation Amazing Fishy Facts About the guidebook

From A Guide to Common Freshwater Fishes of Singapore by Kelvin K P Lim and Peter K L Ng Published by the Singapore Science Centre and sponsored by BP @Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and Singapore Science Centre