The word “carp” appears in literature with a surprising range of uses, from its straightforward appearance as the common fish to a playful or even metaphorical device. In travel writings like those of Marco Polo, “carp” is presented almost clinically—a brief mention that stresses its everyday, tangible quality ([1], [2], [3], [4], [5]). By contrast, in the hands of literary giants such as Chekhov and Kipling, the carp transforms into an emblem of whimsy and domesticity, featured in evocative phrases such as “carp-fish-mouth” and “carp-tail” that color the narrative with a lighthearted, imaginative tone ([6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]). Authors like George Eliot and even Nietzsche employ the term metaphorically to hint at broader human characteristics or to satirically criticize trivial habits ([12], [13], [14]). In this way, “carp” serves as a versatile literary motif—simultaneously a concrete detail in the world of fish and a playful, sometimes biting, symbol in storytelling.