| Phylum | Chordata |
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| Class | Actinopteri |
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| Order | Cypriniformes |
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| Family | Xenocyprididae |
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| Genus | Ctenopharyngodon |
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| Species | Ctenopharyngodon idella |
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| Chinese | 草魚;草鱼;鯇 |
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| Environment | Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 30 m (Ref. 6898). Subtropical; 0°C - 35°C (Ref. 52059); 50°N - 23°N, 100°E - 142°E (Ref. 48) |
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| Size | Maturity: Lm 68.2, range 58 - 79.2 cm Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30578); common length : 10.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 35840); max. published weight: 45.0 kg (Ref. 7248); max. reported age: 21 years (Ref. 48) |
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| Short description | Dorsal
spines
(total): 3;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 7-8;
Anal
spines: 3;
Anal
soft rays: 7 - 11. No barbels. Snout very short, its length less than or equal to eye diameter. Postorbital length more than half head length (Ref. 4967). 18 soft rays for caudal fin (Ref. 40476). Diagnosed from rather similar species Mylopharyngodon piceus by having the following characters: body olive to brassy green above, silvery white to yellow below; body cylindrical; pharyngeal teeth laterally compressed, serrated, with a groove along grinding surface, usually in two rows, 2,5-4,2 (Ref. 59043). |
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| Biology | Adults occur in lakes, ponds, pools and backwaters of large rivers (Ref. 5723), preferring large, slow-flowing or standing water bodies with vegetation. Tolerant of a wide range of temperatures from 0° to 38°C, and salinities to as much as 10 ppt and oxygen levels down to 0.5 ppm. Feed on higher aquatic plants and submerged grasses; takes also detritus, insects and other invertebrates. One of the world's most important aquaculture species and also used for weed control in rivers, fish ponds and reservoirs (Ref. 9987). Spawn on riverbeds with very strong current (Ref. 30578). Utilized also fresh and eaten steamed, pan-fried, broiled and baked (Ref. 9987). Considered as a pest in most countries because of the damages made to submerged vegetation (Ref. 43281). |
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| Main Reference | Shireman, J.V. and C.R. Smith, 1983. Synopsis of biological data on the grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1884). FAO Fish. Synop. No.135, 86 p. (Ref. 48) |
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