Hearing is a well-developed sense in the cyprinids since they have the Weberian organ, three specialized vertebral processes that transfer motion of the gas bladder to the inner ear.

[10] Most cyprinids feed mainly on invertebrates and vegetation, probably due to the lack of teeth and stomach; however, some species, like the asp, are predators that specialize in fish.

In land-locked countries in particular, cyprinids are often the major species of fish eaten because they make the largest part of biomass in most water types except for fast-flowing rivers.

Nonetheless, in certain places, they remain popular for food, as well as recreational fishing, for ornamental use, and have been deliberately stocked in ponds and lakes for centuries for this reason.

Several cyprinids have been introduced to waters outside their natural ranges to provide food, sport, or biological control for some pest species.

[13][14] In America and Australia, such as the Asian carp in the Mississippi Basin, they have become invasive species that compete with native fishes or disrupt the environment.

[19] Numerous cyprinids have become popular and important within the aquarium and fishpond hobbies, most famously the goldfish, which was bred in China from the Prussian carp (Carassius (auratus) gibelio).

[20] Larger species are bred by the thousands in outdoor ponds, particularly in Southeast Asia, and trade in these aquarium fishes is of considerable commercial importance.

In particular, the cyprinids of the subfamily Leuciscinae from southwestern North America have been severely affected by pollution and unsustainable water use in the early to mid-20th century.

The majority of globally extinct cypriniform species in fact belong to the leuciscinid cyprinids from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

The massive diversity of cyprinids has so far made it difficult to resolve their phylogeny in sufficient detail to make assignment to subfamilies more than tentative in many cases.

Some distinct lineages obviously exist – for example, the Cultrinae and Leuciscinae, regardless of their exact delimitation, are rather close relatives and stand apart from Cyprininae – but the overall systematics and taxonomy of the Cyprinidae remain a subject of considerable debate.

[22][23][24] Part of the solution seems that the delicate rasborines are the core group, consisting of minor lineages that have not shifted far from their evolutionary niche, or have coevolved for millions of years.

A cladistic analysis of DNA sequence data of the S7 ribosomal protein intron 1 supports the view that it is distinct enough to constitute a monotypic subfamily.

With such a large and diverse family the taxonomy and phylogenies are always being worked on so alternative classifications are being created as new information is discovered, for example:[29] Psilorhynchus Probarbinae Parapsilorhynchini Labeonini Garrini Torinae Smiliogastrinae Cyprinini Rohteichthyini Acrossocheilini Spinibarbini Schizothoracini Schizopygopsini Barbini ?Paedocypridini ?Sundadanionini Rasborini Danionini Chedrini Leptobarbus Squaliobarbini Opsariichthyini Oxygastrini Hypophthalmichthyini Xenocypridini Tinca Acheilognathinae Hemibarbus-Squalidus clade Sarcocheilichthyini Gobionini Tanichthys Phoxinini Laviniini Plagiopterini Leuciscini Pogonichthyini