Carassius langsdorfii, Temminck & Schlegel, 1846

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 162

Carassius langsdorfii

Common name. Ginbuna.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from C. carassius in West Asia by: ● flank silvery / ● last simple anal and dorsal rays strongly serrated / ● 38–52 gill rakers / ○ 26–33 total lateral-line scales / ● free edge of dorsal concave or straight / ● usually 5½ branched anal rays / ● peritoneum black. Size up to 350 mm SL.

Distribution. Native to Japan. Mitochondria of this species are reported from Lar National Park ( Iran) but are considered widespread in West Asia. Already found in Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, Ukraine, Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina (Europe), from Lake Tahoe ( USA), and British Columbia ( Canada).

Habitat. Identical to C. auratus .

Biology. In its native range,it occurs as a diploid with normal sexual reproduction, as a triploid with gynogenetic reproduction, and rarely as a tetraploid. Only triploids have been recorded in Europe. Species may shift ploidy levels, diploids and tetraploids are expected to occur. Triploid Ginbuna has their evolutionary origin in hybridisation of diploid C. langsdorfii , C. gibelio , and C. auratus , as these maternal lineages have been detected in Japanese triploid C. langsdorfii .

Conservation status. Non-native.

Remarks. Likely introduced as a weed with ornamental koi from Japan but expected to spread as a weed in carp farms from where it escapes into the wild.

Further reading. Murakami et al. 2001 (polyploidy systems in Japan); Kalous et al. 2013; Rylková et al. 2013 (Europe); Halas et al. 2018 (North America); Khosravi et al. 2020 ( Iran).