Kingdom Animalia Order Cypriniformes Genus Carassius Higher classification Carassius | Phylum Chordata Family Cyprinidae Scientific name Carassius cuvieri Rank Species | |
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Similar Carassius, Carassius auratus langsdorfii, Crucian carp, Micropterus, Acheilognathus melanogaster | ||
Herabuna carassius cuvieri var herabuna
Carassius cuvieri, the Japanese crucian carp or white crucian carp, is a species in the genus Carassius. It is found in Japan and, as an introduced species, in Taiwan. This fish is closely related to the commonly known goldfish.
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The original wild species unique to Lake Biwa is called gengorō-buna (ゲンゴロウブナ (源五郎鮒)), and is listed as an endangered species in the Japanese Red Data Book. There is a larger cultivated variant, with a taller body depth known as hera-buna (ヘラブナ) developed from the original species, cultured in the Osaka area and now released in many areas for sports fishing. It is enjoyed for catch-and-release, since it is not prized for eating.
The gengorō-buna is being used as a substitute for the depleted stock of nigoro-buna (Carassius auratus grandoculis) in the preparation of the intense-smelling fermented local dish (funazushi) due to the nigoro-buna's falling numbers.