70 Hawaiian Fishes 



The marbled eel is known from Zanzibar off the eastern coast of 

 Africa to the East Indies, as far as the Tuamotus, the Line Islands, the 

 Hawaiian Islands, and Guam. 



THE CARP FAMILY 



Including the Carp, Dace, Minnows, and Chubs 

 36 Family Cyprinidae 



The carp family is by far the largest family of fresh water fishes. The 

 species are not only numerous, but they are abundant and form a very 

 difficult group for fish experts. There are more than 200 genera known 

 and well over 1,000 species in the family of which about 225 are known 

 from the United States. This family is particularly numerous in the fresh 

 waters of the Old World and North America. It is estimated by some 

 that there are as many as 2,000 species in this family between the Tropic 

 of Cancer and the Arctic Circle. 



The carp are fishes of moderate or small size. The barbels on 

 their heads are either small or absent and the mouth is toothless. They 

 are nearly all small, feeble fishes which form food for other carnivorous 

 river fishes. One species, however, called the White Salmon of the Colorado 

 River reaches a length of five feet and a weight of eighty pounds. 



In order to keep their group alive carp release immense quantities of 

 spawn. During the breeding season the members of the family get small 

 tubercles on their heads and often bright pigment spots on the bodies. 



Carp eat all manner of food including the eggs of predatory fishes 

 thus reducing their numbers. They are little valued as food, the flesh 

 being coarse, tasteless, and bony. 



The family includes the carp, dace, chubs, roaches, bleaks, minnows, 

 breams and shiners. 



Of this immense family only two introduced species are known from 

 the Hawaiian Islands. 



Carp or German Carp 



36- 1 Cyprinus carpio 



This carp was native to the rivers of China and was domesticated and 

 reared by the Chinese centuries ago. It was introduced into Europe about 

 1700 and now inhabits most European streams. It was reared in ponds 

 by the Germans and became known in the area as the German carp. It 



