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Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Fish · family Cyprinidae · order Cypriniformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Common Carp
Photo: Dezidor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Longest recorded life
47 years[3]

The Common Carp is a fish in the carp and minnow family, Cyprinidae[4]. It is ranked Secure worldwide, and in the United States it is an introduced species rather than a native one[2][5].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Common Carp a global rank of G5, which means Secure[2]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[6]. The fish is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it SNA in every state it lists, which is its code for a species that is not native there[7].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[6] Least concern
USGS nonindigenous aquatic species[5] Listed as exotic in parts of the US
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[8] 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Where Common Carp lives

USGS lists the Common Carp as a nonindigenous aquatic species in parts of the United States[5]. NatureServe records it as introduced in 49 places (states plus the District of Columbia), including Alabama, California, Minnesota, Texas, New York and Wyoming[9][7]. Observers have reported it most often in Minnesota, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Illinois, but those counts follow where people look and report, not how many fish live there[10].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: introduced, state rank SNAMEWisconsin: introduced, state rank SNAWIVermont: introduced, state rank SNAVTNew Hampshire: introduced, state rank SNANHWashington: introduced, state rank SNAWAIdaho: introduced, state rank SNAIDMontana: introduced, state rank SNAMTNorth Dakota: introduced, state rank SNANDMinnesota: introduced, state rank SNAMNIllinois: introduced, state rank SNAILMichigan: introduced, state rank SNAMINew York: introduced, state rank SNANYMassachusetts: introduced, state rank SNAMAOregon: introduced, state rank SNAORNevada: introduced, state rank SNANVWyoming: introduced, state rank SNAWYSouth Dakota: introduced, state rank SNASDIowa: introduced, state rank SNAIAIndiana: introduced, state rank SNAINOhio: introduced, state rank SNAOHPennsylvania: introduced, state rank SNAPANew Jersey: introduced, state rank SNANJConnecticut: introduced, state rank SNACTRhode Island: introduced, state rank SNARICalifornia: introduced, state rank SNACAUtah: introduced, state rank SNAUTColorado: introduced, state rank SNACONebraska: introduced, state rank SNANEMissouri: introduced, state rank SNAMOKentucky: introduced, state rank SNAKYWest Virginia: introduced, state rank SNAWVVirginia: introduced, state rank SNAVAMaryland: introduced, state rank SNAMDDelaware: introduced, state rank SNADEArizona: introduced, state rank SNAAZNew Mexico: introduced, state rank SNANMKansas: introduced, state rank SNAKSArkansas: introduced, state rank SNAARTennessee: introduced, state rank SNATNNorth Carolina: introduced, state rank SNANCSouth Carolina: introduced, state rank SNASCDistrict of Columbia: introduced, state rank SNADCOklahoma: introduced, state rank SNAOKLouisiana: introduced, state rank SNALAMississippi: introduced, state rank SNAMSAlabama: introduced, state rank SNAALGeorgia: introduced, state rank SNAGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: introduced, state rank SNATXFlorida: introduced, state rank SNAFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[7].
Show state ranks (49 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaSNANot Applicable
ArizonaSNANot Applicable
ArkansasSNANot Applicable
CaliforniaSNANot Applicable
ColoradoSNANot Applicable
ConnecticutSNANot Applicable
DelawareSNANot Applicable
District of ColumbiaSNANot Applicable
FloridaSNANot Applicable
GeorgiaSNANot Applicable
IdahoSNANot Applicable
IllinoisSNANot Applicable
IndianaSNANot Applicable
IowaSNANot Applicable
KansasSNANot Applicable
KentuckySNANot Applicable
LouisianaSNANot Applicable
MaineSNANot Applicable
MarylandSNANot Applicable
MassachusettsSNANot Applicable
MichiganSNANot Applicable
MinnesotaSNANot Applicable
MississippiSNANot Applicable
MissouriSNANot Applicable
MontanaSNANot Applicable
NebraskaSNANot Applicable
NevadaSNANot Applicable
New HampshireSNANot Applicable
New JerseySNANot Applicable
New MexicoSNANot Applicable
New YorkSNANot Applicable
North CarolinaSNANot Applicable
North DakotaSNANot Applicable
OhioSNANot Applicable
OklahomaSNANot Applicable
OregonSNANot Applicable
PennsylvaniaSNANot Applicable
Rhode IslandSNANot Applicable
South CarolinaSNANot Applicable
South DakotaSNANot Applicable
TennesseeSNANot Applicable
TexasSNANot Applicable
UtahSNANot Applicable
VermontSNANot Applicable
VirginiaSNANot Applicable
WashingtonSNANot Applicable
West VirginiaSNANot Applicable
WisconsinSNANot Applicable
WyomingSNANot Applicable

Habitat

NatureServe records many kinds of water for this fish, such as big and medium rivers, creeks, pools, shallow water, river mouths and several types of wetland[11]. It usually lives in slow or still water with plenty of plants, like ponds, lakes, reservoirs and swamps[12]. It copes with a wide range of oxygen, salt and muddy water[12]. Fry, young fish and adults handle water from 5 to 35 C, and growth is best between 25 and 30 C[12]. Cold, small streams and deep lakes with little shallow edge are generally not its home[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[11]

Size, diet and lifespan

The Common Carp eats both animals and plants, and adults mostly feed on insect larvae, small invertebrates, fish eggs, dead plant matter and plants[13][14]. In one set of stomach studies from lakes in Iowa, the food was about 90% animal and 10% plant[13]. Young fry start out eating tiny drifting animals called zooplankton[13]. NatureServe records a typical length of 122 cm (48 in)[15]. The longest recorded lifespan is 47 years, in captivity, so it is a record and not a typical age[3]. Females reach breeding age at 1,095 days[16]. A typical clutch is 300000 eggs, and they hatch after about 4 days[17][18].

Trait Value
Typical length[15] 122 cm (48 in)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[3] 47 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[17] 300000
Gestation or incubation[18] 4 days
Female maturity[16] 1,095 days (about 3.0 years)
Food habits[14] Invertivore, Herbivore

When to look for it

Carp spawn, which means lay eggs, in spring and summer[19]. They spawn best when the water is 18 to 22 C, though spawning can happen from 16 to 26 C[19]. Timing varies by state. In Wisconsin it runs from April to early August[19]. In Missouri and New Mexico it starts in late March and goes into the fall[19]. Online sighting records for the United States peak in June, July and August[20]. Those records show when people look and report, not how many fish there are[20].

January: 742 recordsJanFebruary: 810 recordsFebMarch: 3,812 recordsMarApril: 8,191 recordsAprMay: 10,815 recordsMayJune: 13,342 recordsJunJuly: 16,018 recordsJulAugust: 15,505 recordsAugSeptember: 10,253 recordsSepOctober: 7,979 recordsOctNovember: 1,902 recordsNovDecember: 2,617 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[20].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January742
February810
March3,812
April8,191
May10,815
June13,342
July16,018
August15,505
September10,253
October7,979
November1,902
December2,617

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Common Carp as present in 71 park units[21]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 47 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Minnesota, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Illinois[10]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Common Carp endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5, which means Secure[2].
Is the Common Carp native to the United States?
No. USGS lists it as a nonindigenous aquatic species, and NatureServe records it as introduced in 49 places (states plus the District of Columbia)[5][9][7].
What does the Common Carp eat?
It is an omnivore. Adults eat mostly invertebrates, fish eggs, dead plant matter and plants[13][14].
How big is a Common Carp?
NatureServe records a typical length of 122 cm (48 in)[15].
How long does a Common Carp live?
The longest recorded lifespan is 47 years, in captivity[3]. That is a record, not a typical lifespan.

Facts and sources

  1. Common Carp is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Common Carp: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 47 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  4. Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a fish in the family Cyprinidae, order Cypriniformes. NatureServe Explorer
  5. USGS lists Common Carp as a nonindigenous aquatic species in parts of the United States (exotic). USGS NAS
  6. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe state ranks for Common Carp (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe lists Common Carp as introduced (not native) in: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts,... NatureServe Explorer
  10. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Common Carp: Minnesota, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Illinois. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  11. Habitat types NatureServe records for Common Carp: Herbaceous wetland, Scrub-shrub wetland, Forested wetland, Big river, Medium river, Creek, Low gradient, Pool, Shallow water, River mouth/tidal river. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for Common Carp. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on food for Common Carp. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore, Herbivore. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 122 cm (48 in). NatureServe Explorer
  16. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 1,095 days (about 3.0 years). AnAge
  17. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 300000. AnAge
  18. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 4 days. AnAge
  19. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Common Carp. NatureServe Explorer
  20. GBIF observation records of Common Carp in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  21. NPSpecies park lists recording Common Carp as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Dezidor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.