The influence of handling stress on concentrations of cortisol, glucose and lactate in plasma, glycogen content in liver and activities of two enzymes (hexokinase and pyruvate kinase) responsible to glycolysis in liver of three cyprinidaes with different food habits, grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (herbivore), Prussian carp Carassius auratus prussianio (omnivore) and black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus (carnivore) was evaluated. The concentrations of cortisol, glucose and lactate in plasma of grass carp, Prussian carp and black carp significantly increased after handling. The content of liver glycogen of grass carp and black carp declined at 2 h after handling, while no significant difference was found in content of liver glycogen of Prussian carp before and after handling. The glucose concentration in plasma was higher in black carp than in grass carp and Prussian carp, while the content of liver glycogen was higher in Prussian carp than those in grass carp and black carp. A smaller increase in concentrations of lactate and glucose in plasma was observed in Prussian carp, suggesting that stress response induced by handling was lower in Prussian carp compared to grass carp and black carp. No significant difference was found in the activities of hexokinase and pyruvate kinase in liver of grass carp and Prussian carp before and after handling, while the activity of hexokinase in liver of black carp decreased at 2 h after handling. These results indicate that the increase of glucose concentration in plasma did not enhance the enzymes activities for glycolysis in liver of grass carp, Prussian carp and black carp.