Carp

carp, widely, any of several fish species classified in the genus Cyprinus in the family Cyprinidae but usually, and narrowly, the common, or European, carp (Cyprinus carpio) and its close relatives within the genus Cyprinus. The carp is a hardy greenish brown fish. It is native to Eurasia but has been introduced into North America and elsewhere. A large-scaled fish with two barbels on each side of its upper jaw, the carp lives alone or in small schools in quiet weedy mud-bottomed ponds, lakes, and rivers. It is omnivorous, and in rooting about for food it often roils the water, increasing turbidity and adversely affecting many plants and animals. As a result, it is often considered undesirable, and much effort may be devoted to its extermination.