Home · Cyprinidae · Knife-edged carp
Knife-edged carp (Oxygaster anomalura) — Cyprinidae

Knife-edged carp

Oxygaster anomalura
Family: Cyprinidae

The Knife-edged carp (Oxygaster anomalura) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae that grows up to 20 cm.

Length
20 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless

Description

The knife-edged carp is a cyprinid relative (Xenocyprididae) from fresh water of the Mekong basin and Sundaland in Southeast Asia. The species grows to about 15 cm and has a slender, strongly laterally compressed, bright-silvery body with a sharply keeled belly and a superior mouth. As a fast, schooling surface fish it swims in rivers and floodplains and snaps at insects falling on the water, larvae and small zooplankton. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Knife-edged carp?

The Knife-edged carp has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Knife-edged carp live?

The Knife-edged carp lives in fresh water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Knife-edged carp get?

The Knife-edged carp grows to a maximum of about 20 cm.

Is the Knife-edged carp dangerous to humans?

No, the Knife-edged carp is harmless to humans.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Glas-mesbuikkarper sourced
English name
Knife-edged carp sourced
Scientific name
Oxygaster anomalura
Family
Cyprinidae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
20.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Te vangen met natuurlijk aas of kunstaas, afgestemd op de grootte en het leefgebied van de soort. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

More from the family Cyprinidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →