Actually minnows are a group of fish kind of like salmanoids or catfish. The minnow group is one of the larger and most widely distributed freshwater groups and would include carp, chubs, I think suckers, a lot of aquarium fish, and most your common creek minnows you see. They are distinguised by phyrengeal (sp?) teeth which are located near the throat. Most of the group tends to stay towards the smaller size with exceptions such as carp and squafish. Carp and Koi are also the same species and without carefull breeding the Koi would soon revert to looking just like carp.