Cyprinus

Cyprinus is the genus of typical carps in the family Cyprinidae, comprising 19 living species, five possibly recently extinct species and one fossil species. Most species originate in East Asia, though the common carp is native to western Asia and Europe and has been introduced to many other regions worldwide; the group is famed as a food fish and has been domesticated, with numerous breeds developed for food and, in the case of koi, ornamental purposes. Several species are seriously threatened and five are possibly already extinct, most of them endemic to lakes in China's Yunnan region including Lake Erhai and Fuxian Lake.