Silver carp
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
FAMILY
Cyprinidae
TAXONOMY
Leuciscus molitrix Cuvier and Valencinnes, 1844, China.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Chinese schemer; French: Carpe argentée; German: Silberkarpfen, Tolstolob; Spanish: Carpa plateada.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Size moderate to large, usually 11.8–15.74 in (30–40 cm) in body length. Body robust, compressed laterally. Keels from isthmus to anus on the belly. Head large. Snout blunt. Mouth terminal, wide and large. Barbels absent. Pharyngeal teeth in 1 row. Contains spiral gill-organ for feeding. Dorsal fin short, with 3 unbranched, 7 branched rays; anal fin long, with 3 unbranched 11–13 branched rays. Scales small. Lateral line complete, with 91–120 scales. Coloration is brassy olive above, and silver-white on lower sides and belly.
DISTRIBUTION
China and eastern Siberia. Introduced around the world for aquaculture and control of algal blooms.
HABITAT
Can live in standing or flowing waters such as ponds, lakes, and rivers. Prefers large waters with abundant plankton.
BEHAVIOR
Active species well known for its habit of leaping clear of the water when disturbed. It often swims just beneath the water surface. Undergoes lake-river migration.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Typical filter feeder that lives near the surface and feeds on phytoplankton and microzooplankton with its big mouth and the gill organ.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
In Yangtze River, this fish matures in 3–4 years. Breeding season is from April to July. The fish migrate to middle or upper reaches of the river to breed. Spawning occurs near the surface of water. The eggs are semipelagic. Eggs and larvae float downstream to floodplain zones. The fecundity varies from 207,083 to 1,610,440 eggs.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
The silver carp is an important food fish and has been introduced to many countries. It is among the 4 species of cyprinids whose world production in aquaculture exceeds 1 million tons per year. However, in some places it is mainly used for cleaning reservoirs and other waters where eutrophication is a problem.
