Archives - Asian Carp

Article Archives/Asian Carp - Silver Carp

Asian Carp - Silver Carp (Part 4 of a 4 part series)

The silver carp, native to eastern Asia and the Amur and other lowland rivers of China, was also first brought to the U.S. by an Arkansas fish farmer in 1973, apparently for use in phytoplankton control in ponds and as a food fish. By the mid 1970’s, it was being raised at six state, federal, and private facilities in Arkansas; and by the late 1970’s it had been stocked in 4 municipal sewage lagoons.

This deepbodied, laterally compressed (narrow), very large minnow is similar to the bighead carp, but much more efficient at straining suspended material from the water through use of gill rakers that are fused into spongelike porous plates. By 1981, the silver carp appeared in Arkansas’ natural waters at 7 different sites, likely the result of escapement from aquaculture facilities.

The silver carp’s history and use in Arkansas are closely intertwined with that of the bighead carp; and due to its feeding habits, the silver carp is also a direct competitor with all native fish larvae and juveniles; with adult paddlefish, bigmouth buffalo and gizzard shad; and with native mussels.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service