Common carp, Cyprinus carpio, was originally a native of central Europe in such rivers as the Danube. The fish is now distributed worldwide because many people consider it a desirable table fish. Experiences in Illinois would indicate that this fish will grow in such numbers that it will literally "takeover" a lake and reduce the oxygen supply so low that normal game fish can not survive. They also tend to stir up the bottom and make a clear lake have a murky appearance. Although they will not do well in a large deep lake, they will most certainly upset the ecology of any shallow weedy lake. Although most specimens are only five to eight pounds, giants over forty pounds are not rare, and specimens over eighty pounds have been netted.

There are some unusual forms of this fish with less or no scales that are bred commercially for food. They have been known to escape into the wild. These forms include the leather and mirror carp.

The Koi Carp from Japan appears to be an ornamental form of this species. The Goldfish, Carassius auratus, seems to be a different species but natural hybrids between carp and goldfish have been reported.

Carp genus (Cyprinus) contains a number of forms in addition to the common carp. The mirror carp (with enlarged scales) and the leather carp (without scales) belong here. The coy also belongs here. These three forms can be placed as varieties of the common carp. The grass carp belongs in a different genus.

Carp and minnow family, Cyprinidae, is a group of freshwater fishes that contains the carp, the familiar goldfish, the bream, the minnows, barbs, and many other kinds of fish. This family is found in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa , but is not represented with natural species in either Australia or South America. There are over 1,500 species and probably nearer 2,000 in the family. Many members of this family serve as food and bait fish for larger species. Many are popular aquarium fish. Most species have mostly soft rays in their dorsal fin.

Order Cypriniformes contains the majority of the world's freshwater species of fish. Included in this order are the minnows, carp, and many other groups of fish.

Bony fish, Class Teleostomi, are a class of chordates that include the majority of fish-like animals found on earth. They are characterized by a bony jaw and a bony skeleton. They are found in both fresh and marine waters.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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