View source for Japanese white crucian carp

{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Carassius cuvieri by OpenCage.jpg
| image_alt = Japanese (white) crucian carp
| image_caption =
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Carassius cuvieri
| display_parents = 3
| authority = [[Coenraad Jacob Temminck|Temminck]] & [[Hermann Schlegel|Schlegel]], 1846<ref name=fishbase>{{FishBase species | genus = Carassius | species = cuvieri | year = 2018 | month = may}}</ref>
| synonyms =
*''C. auratus caviers'' <small>Temminck & Schlegel, 1846</small>
*''C. auratus cuvieri'' <small>Temminck & Schlegel, 1846</small>
*''C. carassius cuvieri'' <small>Temminck & Schlegel, 1846</small>
| synonyms_ref = &nbsp;<ref name=fishbase/>
}}
The '''Japanese white crucian carp''', also known as '''Japanese carp''', '''white crucian carp''', or '''gengoro-buna'''  ('''''Carassius cuvieri'''''), is a species of [[freshwater]] [[fish]] in the [[carp]] [[Family (biology)|family]] (family [[Cyprinidae]]). It is found in [[Japan]] and, as an [[introduced species]], in several other countries in [[Asia]].<ref name=fishdb>{{cite web |url=http://fishdb.sinica.edu.tw/eng/species.php?id=381002 |title=Carassius cuvieri |author=Shao, Kwang-Tsao |date= |work=The Fish Database of Taiwan. WWW Web electronic publication. Version 2009/1 |accessdate=28 November 2012}}</ref> This fish is closely related to the commonly known [[goldfish]].
==Description==
This is a medium fish, growing up to 50&nbsp;cm, with a broad head and a blunt snout. The lips are fleshy, and lacking [[barbels]]. The body is deep and laterally compressed, with a distinctly humped back. The scales are large and [[cycloid]] in shape, with a complete [[lateral line]]. Serration is present on the last ray of the [[Dorsal fin|dorsal]] and [[anal fins]], and the [[caudal fin]] is forked.<ref name=fishdb/>
==Taxonomy==
The Japanese white crucian carp was formerly considered a [[subspecies]] of [[wild goldfish]], and was classified as ''C. auratus cuvieri''. It has now been elevated to [[species]] rank, however some authors are in disagreement.<ref name="russia">{{cite journal |last1=Apalikova |first1=O. |last2=Podlesnykh |first2=A. |last3=Kukhlesky |first3=A. |last4=Guohua |first4=S. |last5=Brykov |first5=V. |title=Phylogenetic relationships of silver crucian carp Carassius auratus gibelio, C. auratus cuvieri, crucian carp Carassius carassius, and common carp Cyprinus carpio as inferred from mitochondrial DNA variation |journal=Russian Journal of Genetics |date=2011 |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=322–331 |doi=10.1134/S1022795411020025}}</ref> Genetic studies using [[mitochondrial DNA]] indicate that this species diverged from the ancestral form approximately one million years ago, during the early [[Pleistocene]].<ref name=russia/>
The original wild species unique to [[Lake Biwa]] is called {{Nihongo|''gengorō-buna''|[[:ja:ゲンゴロウブナ|ゲンゴロウブナ]] (源五郎鮒)}}.<ref name="red book"/><ref name=seasonal/> Fossil [[pharyngeal teeth]] that appear to belong to ancestral form of Japanese white crucian carp have been found in the upper part of the Katata Formation, derived from sediment layers of the former Paleo-lake Katata, on the southwest shore of Lake Biwa.<ref name="biwa book">{{cite book |last1=Kawanabe |first1=Hiroya |last2=Nishino |first2=Machiko |last3=Masayoshi |first3=Maehata |title=Lake Biwa: Interactions between Nature and People |date=2012 |publisher=Springer |location=Dordrecht; London |isbn=978-94-007-1782-4}}</ref>
==Distribution and habitat==
Historically, the Japanese white crucian carp was endemic to [[Lake Biwa]],<ref name="seasonal">{{cite journal |last1=Kunimune |first1=Yoshio |last2=Mitsunaga |first2=Yasushi |last3=Komeyama |first3=Kazuyoshi |last4=Matsuda |first4=Masanari |last5=Kobayashi |first5=Toru |last6=Takagi |first6=Tsutomu |last7=Yamane |first7=Takeshi |title=Seasonal distribution of adult crucian carp nigorobuna Carassius auratus grandoculis and gengoroubuna Carassius cuvieri in Lake Biwa, Japan |journal=Fisheries Science |date=2011 |volume=77 |issue=4 |pages=521–532 |doi=10.1007/s12562-011-0354-7|bibcode=2011FisSc..77..521K }}</ref> as well as the connected [[Yodo River]] system,<ref>{{cite web |title=Carassius cuvieri |url=https://www.nies.go.jp/biodiversity/invasive/DB/detail/50540e.html |website=Invasive Species of Japan |publisher=National Institute for Environmental Studies |accessdate=8 December 2018}}</ref> in Japan. However, it has been introduced to [[Taiwan]]<ref name=fishdb/> and [[Korea]]. In South Korea initial introductions were the result of stocking by government agencies. Subsequently, the species has also been spread through the [[Buddhist]] practice of [[Life release|"life releasing"]], in which animals destined for [[Animal slaughter|slaughter]] are instead released into the wild.<ref name="Jang">{{cite journal |last1=Jang |first1=Min-Ho |last2=Kim |first2=Jung-Gon |last3=Park |first3=Sung-Bae |last4=Jeong |first4=Kwang-Seuk |last5=Cho |first5=Ga-Ik |last6=Joo |first6=Gea-Jea |title=The Current Status of the Distribution of Introduced Fish in Large River Systems of South Korea |journal=International Review of Hydrobiology |date=2002 |volume=87 |issue=2–3 |pages=319–328 |doi=10.1002/1522-2632(200205)87:2/3<319::AID-IROH319>3.0.CO;2-N|bibcode=2002IRH....87..319J }}</ref>
Possession of this species without a permit is prohibited in the state of [[Vermont]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Title 10 Appendix: Vermont Fish and Wildlife Regulations |url=https://vtfishandwildlife.com/sites/fishandwildlife/files/documents/Learn%20More/Living%20with%20Wildlife/fish_rule_10V.S.A_%20App_121.pdf |website=The Vermont Statutes Online |publisher=Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department |accessdate=7 December 2018}}</ref>
It is a freshwater fish, preferring still or slow moving waters, and occurs at depths up to 20 meters. Typical habitats include lakes, canals, and [[Backwater (river)|backwaters]].<ref name=fishdb/>
==Feeding, diet, and related information==
An [[omnivorous]] species, Japanese white crucian carp feed on a variety foods, including [[algae]], [[phytoplankton]], [[macrophytes]], and [[invertebrates]], such as [[insects]] and [[crustaceans]].<ref name=fishdb/> During the [[Larval fish|larval]] stage, [[zooplankton]] comprise the primary food source. Upon reaching 1.8&nbsp;cm the young fish form [[Shoaling and schooling|schools]] and move offshore to feed on phytoplankton. Phytoplankton remains the primary food source through adulthood.<ref name="seasonal"/> This is reflected in the unique structure of their [[pharyngeal teeth]], which are specialized to feed on phytoplankton.<ref name="biwa book"/>
==Reproduction==
[[Spawning]] occurs from April to June,<ref name=seasonal/> and takes place in areas of [[aquatic vegetation]], including [[reed bed]]s. Some individuals will migrate into connected satellite water bodies in order to spawn.<ref name=suzuki/> Larvae and juveniles tend to remain close to spawning areas.<ref name=suzuki/>
==Importance to humans==
Japanese white crucian carp, as well as other crucian carp species, are the target of an established local fishing industry on Lake Biwa.<ref name="biwa book"/> It is being used as a substitute for the depleted stock of ''[[nigorobuna|nigoro-buna]]'' in the preparation of the intense-smelling fermented local dish ''[[funazushi]]'' due to the ''nigoro-buna''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s falling numbers.<ref name=seasonal/>
A larger [[Aquaculture|cultivated]] variant, with a taller body depth known as {{Nihongo|''hera-buna''|[[:ja:ヘラブナ|ヘラブナ]]}}, was  developed from the original species, cultured in the [[Osaka]] area and now released in many areas of Japan for sport fishing. It is enjoyed for catch-and-release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hrr.mlit.go.jp/chikuma/gakushu/jiten/keylist/ha/herabuna/index.html|title=Chikumagawa dictionary:herabuna|publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism|accessdate=April 4, 2012}}, Also discussed in [[:ja:ヘラブナ]]</ref> It is a major carp species in [[China|Chinese]] aquaculture, where it is raised for food.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sun |first1=Yuan-Dong |last2=Zhang |first2=Chun |last3=Liu |first3=Shao-Jun |last4=Tao |first4=Min |last5=Zeng |first5=Chen |last6=Liu |first6=Yun |title=Induction of gynogenesis in Japanese crucian carp (Carassius cuvieri) |journal=Acta Genetica Sinica |date=2006 |volume=33 |issue=5 |pages=405–412 |doi=10.1016/S0379-4172(06)60067-X|pmid=16722335 }}</ref><ref name="pyro">{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Tongtong |last2=Long |first2=Meng |last3=Gatesoupe |first3=François-Joël |last4=Zhang |first4=Qianqian |last5=Li |first5=Aihua |last6=Gong |first6=Xiaoning |title=Comparative analysis of the intenstinal bacterial communities in different species of carp by pryrosequencing |journal=Microbial Ecology |date=2015 |volume=69 |issue=1 |pages=25–36 |doi=10.1007/s00248-014-0480-8|pmid=25145494 |bibcode=2015MicEc..69...25L |url=http://ir.ihb.ac.cn/handle/342005/23916 }}</ref>
This species has been identified as an [[intermediate host]] of ''[[Clinostomum complanatum]]'', a [[parasitic]] [[Trematoda|fluke]] capable of infecting humans.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Aohagi |first1=Y. |last2=Shibahara |first2=T. |last3=Machida |first3=N. |last4=Yamaga |first4=Y. |last5=Kagota |first5=K. |title=Clinostomum complanatum (Trematoda: Clinostomatidae) in five new fish hosts in Japan |journal=Journal of Wildlife Diseases |date=1992 |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=467–469|doi=10.7589/0090-3558-28.3.467 |pmid=1512883 }}</ref>
==Conservation status==
The wild species in [[Lake Biwa]] is listed as an [[endangered species]] in the Japanese [[Red Data Book]].<ref name="red book">[http://www.jpnrdb.com/ Search system of Japanese Red Data] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604080147/http://www.jpnrdb.com/ |date=2014-06-04 }}</ref><ref name=seasonal/> Factors in its decline include [[water pollution]], invasive species, and [[overfishing]].<ref name="suzuki">{{cite journal |last1=Suzuki |first1=Takashi |last2=Kobayashi |first2=Toru |last3=Ueno |first3=Koichi |title=Genetic identification of larvae and juveniles reveals the difference in the spawning site among Cyprininae fish species/subspecies in Lake Biwa |journal=Environmental Biology of Fishes |date=2008 |volume=82 |issue=4 |pages=353–364 |doi=10.1007/s10641-007-9296-4|bibcode=2008EnvBF..82..353S }}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{carp|state=expanded}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1090973}}
[[Category:Carassius|Japanese white crucian carp]]
[[Category:Carp|Japanese white crucian carp]]
[[Category:fish of Japan]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of Japan]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of Taiwan]]
[[Category:Fish described in 1846|Japanese white crucian carp]]
{{Cyprininae-stub}}