Xenocyprididae
cypriniformes
Actinopterygii
No information available
Up to 2 million eggs
Larvae and immature specimens eat zooplankton, while from a certain size they feed only on phytoplankton.
Approximately 20 years
Its body is lateral and deeply compressed. It has a very large and flattened head, very short and thick fins and strong muscles. Its more or less large mouth is equipped with thick fleshy lips and small teeth for cutting vegetables. Its eyes are medium-sized and scales are distributed throughout the body, perfectly visible.
In their natural range, they migrate upstream to reproduce while eggs and larvae float downstream to floodplain areas. They swim just below the surface of the water and are well known for their habit of jumping out of the water when they feel threatened or scared.
Given the filtration device it has with which it is capable of filtering particles of up to four microns, unicellular algae commonly called “green water”, in Bioparc Fuengirola this animal fulfills a fundamental function of maintaining and cleaning the water.
