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The Common carp or European carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a widespread freshwater fish most closely related to the common goldfish (Carassius auratus), with which it is capable of interbreeding. It gives its name to the carp family Cyprinidae. Common carp are native to Asia and Eastern Europe. It has been introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive species.

Koi in Japanese, is a domesticated ornamental variety that originated in the Niigata region of Japan in the 1820's.

Variants include the mirror carp, with large mirror-like scales (linear mirror - scaleless except for a row of large scales that run along the lateral line; originating in Germany), the leather carp (virtually unscaled except near dorsal fin), and the fully scaled carp.

The common carp originally originated from Western Asia and spread throughout China, Siberia and the Danube basin. Carp was spread throughout Europe by monks between the 13th and 16th centuries, as a food fish, and has now been introduced to all continents and some 59 countries. In Western Europe, the carp is cultured more commonly as a sport fish although there is a small market as food fish.

Common carp can grow to a maximum length of 5 feet (1.5 m), a maximum weight of over 80 lb (37.3 kg), and an oldest recorded age of at least 65 years.[8] The largest recorded carp, caught by an angler in 2007 at Rainbow lake near Bordeaux, France, weighed 88.6 pounds (40.1 kilograms)and another at a record weight of 129kg. The wild, non-domesticated forms tend to be much less stocky at around 20% - 33% the maximum size.

Although they are very tolerant of most conditions, common carp prefer large bodies of slow or standing water and soft, vegetative sediments. A schooling fish, they prefer to be in groups of 5 or more. They natively live in a temperate climate in fresh or brackish water with a 7.0 - 9.0 pH, and an a temperature range of 35.0 - 85.0 °F (1.6 - 30.0 °C). Common Carp will readily survive winter in a frozen over pond, as long as there remains some free water. Carp can withstand summer water temperatures in the low 90 degrees Fahrenheit (the low 30 degrees Celsius) for short periods. Ideal temperature is 68 to 75°F (20 to 24 °C).

Common carp are omnivorous. The common carp can eat a vegetarian diet of water plants, but prefers to scavenge the bottom for insects, crustaceans (including zooplankton), benthic worms, or the occasional corn snack from tourists.

An egg-layer, a typical adult fish can lay 300,000 eggs in a single spawning. Although carp typically spawn in the Spring, in response to rising water temperatures and rain fall, carp can spawn multiple times in a season. In commercial operations spawning is often stimulated by injection. Carp lay eggs by the hundreds of thousands, yet their population remains the same, so the eggs and young must perish in similar vast numbers. Eggs and fry often fall victim to bacteria, fungi, and the vast array of tiny predators in the pond environment. Those fortunate enough to survive to juvenile are preyed upon by other fish such as the northern pike and largemouth bass.

Common carp have been introduced, sometimes illegally, into many countries. Due to their fecundity and their feeding habit of grubbing through bottom sediments for food they are notorious for altering their environment. In feeding, they may destroy, uproot and disturb submerged vegetation causing serious damage to native duck and fish populations.

Efforts to non-chemically eradicate a small colony from Tasmania's Lake Crescent have been successful, however the long-term, expensive and intensive undertaking is an example of the both the possibility and difficulty of safely removing the species once it is established.It has been proposed, but is regarded as environmentally questionable, to control common carp by deliberate exposure to the common carp specific Koi Herpes Virus with its high mortality rate.