Also 8 crusion. [Formed with suffix -AN, and accommodated spelling, from earlier or dial. LG. karusse, karuse, karutze (mod.G. karausche), cf. Du. karuts (Kilian), Da. karudse, South Sw. karussa (Grimm). An older MG. form was karas, karaz, corresp. to Russ., Pol., Boh. karas, whence zoological specific name carassius. The ultimate source is supposed to be L. coracīnus, a. Gr. κορακῖνος a black fish like a perch, found in the Nile; but the actual history of the word in the modern langs. is obscure.]
A species of fish, a native of Central Europe, now naturalized in England, of a deep yellow color, also called Crucian Carp, and (when lean) German or Prussian Carp; it is closely allied to the Carp, but with the Gold Fish is now generally placed in a distinct genus Carassius, being C. carassius.
1763. C. Smart, Song to David, lvii. And by the coasting reader spy’d, The silverlings and crusions glide, For Adoration gilt.
1771. Phil. Trans., LXI. 318. Sometimes crusians and carp, or tench and carp, [are] put together in a pond.
1836. Yarrell, Brit. Fishes, I. 311. The Crucian Carp is found in some of the ponds about London. In Warwickshire it is called Crouger.
1880. Günther, Fishes, 591. The Crucian Carp (Carassius carassius) is much subject to variation of form; very lean examples are commonly called ‘Prussian Carps.’
