Common carp larvae were fed artificial diets over 28 days at about 24 °C. Diets were based on yeast and either beef liver or casein. Survival rates of larvae were 76-92% with liver diets and 87-96% with casein diets. Larval growth was superior with liver diets (mean final weights 720-880 mg) than with casein diets (130-340 mg). Within-tank coefficient of variation of body weight increased with mean weight according to a generalized S-shaped curve. The skewness coefficient tended to increase with the mean weight, with higher values in the casein-fed group than in the liver-fed group. It is concluded that liver is not strictly indispensable for carp larvae diets and may be replaced by less complex components.