| Bighead carp | |
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Suborder: | Cyprinoidei |
| Family: | Xenocyprididae |
| Genus: | Hypophthalmichthys Oshima, 1919 |
| Species: | H. nobilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (J. Richardson, 1845) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Thebighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) is a species ofcyprinidfreshwater fish native toEast Asia, and is one of severalAsian carps introduced intoNorth America. It is one of the most intensively exploited fishes infish farming, with an annual worldwide production of over three million tonnes in 2013, principally fromChina.[2] They are omnivores, consuming bothalgae andzooplankton.
Bighead carp, together withblack carp,silver carp, andgrass carp, make up the culturally important "four famous domestic fishes" used in polyculture in China for over a thousand years. It is widely farmed for food.[3]
The bighead carp has a large, scaleless head, a large mouth, and eyes located very low on the head. Adults usually have a mottled silver-gray coloration. It is a large fish; a typical length is 60 cm (2 ft), and maximum observed size of 146 cm (4 ft 9 in) and 40 kg (88 lb).[4]
Bighead carp are native to large rivers and are associated with floodplain lakes of eastern Asia. Their range extends from southernChina north to theAmur River system, which forms the border between China andRussia.[5] They have beenintroduced widely outside their native range, including in the United States, where they are consideredinvasive[4] as they out-compete native species (e.g.bigmouth buffalo).[6] They are also found in theNile in North Africa.[citation needed]
The bighead carp has a very fast growth rate, which makes it a lucrative and importantaquaculture fish, having the fifth-highest production (7.5%) of all cultured freshwater fish worldwide.[2] Its production grew from just 15,306 tonnes in 1950 to 3,059,555 tonnes in 2013, most of the growth being in China.[2]
The value of bighead carp as afood fish has caused it to be exported from its native China to more than 70 other countries, where it has invariably escaped or been intentionally released to the wild. Today, the bighead carp can be found in the wild inEurope,South America andNorth America. It also has been introduced into most of theIndian subcontinent (India,Pakistan,Bangladesh) and mostSoutheast Asian countries, as well as to lakes inwestern China where it is not native. Bighead carp are not always considered undesirable, invasive species where they are introduced outside their native range, and they continue to bestocked in some water bodies to support commercial fisheries. Stocking bighead carp orsilver carp usually increases the totalbiomass of fish available for harvest, but can decrease the catch of native and sometimes more valuable fish.[5]
Bighead carp are considered a highly destructiveinvasive species in theUnited States. Bighead carp and the closely relatedsilver carp (H. molitrix) were imported to the United States to remove excess or undesirableplankton, thus improvewater quality insewage treatment plants andaquaculture facilities. However, some fish escaped into theMississippi River basin, where they are now firmly established. Anational plan for the control of Asian carps,Archived 11 August 2020 at theWayback Machine including bighead carp, was finalized in late 2007.[citation needed]
In the United States, a limited consumer market has developed for bighead carp, particularly in ethnic communities, and they are farmed in ponds for this purpose. The live or very freshly killed fish is most lucrative. Because of this, bighead carp are often transported live, and may be a high risk factor for the eventual spread of the fish, either through release by the end purchaser, or through escape during transport. Another potential avenue for unintentional spread of bighead carp is through use aslive fishing bait.[5]
Communities are attempting to contain the spread of the extremely invasive bighead carp.New York state has banned the import and possession of live bighead carp, with the exception ofNew York City, where they still may be legally sold in live food markets (but they must be killed before they leave the premises). Possession of live bighead carp has been illegal inIllinois since 2005. Since February 2007, using live bighead carp as fishing bait has been illegal inMissouri. In December 2010, theU.S. Congress banned the importation of bighead carp.[8]
Live bighead carp are also banned from sale inCanada. SeveralGreater Toronto AreaAsian supermarkets have been fined in the past for selling them.[9] TheOntario Ministry of Natural Resources banned the live sale and importation intoOntario in 2004. Fines are only CAD$3500.00 and have done little to deter the possession of this fish; underground selling continues to happen in several Chinese supermarkets in the region. One live carp was found in Toronto'sDon River in 2003.[10]
Killed carp can still be sold in stores, but Asian retailers and consumers prefer live over killed fish. Killed carp is cut into pieces: head, fillet and tail.[citation needed]
In Singapore, it is known by the Chinese name 松鱼 (sōng yú). The head of the bighead carp is particularly prized in Singapore, and is usually steamed whole.[citation needed]
Although the bighead carp is enjoyed in many parts of the world, it has not become a popular food fish in North America. Acceptance there has been hindered in part by the name "carp", thus popular association with the common carp, which is not a generally favored foodfish in North America. The flesh of the bighead carp is white and firm, and not similar to that of the common carp, which is darker and richer. Bighead carp flesh does share one unfortunate similarity with common carp flesh - both have intramuscular bones within the filet. However, bighead carp captured from the wild in the United States tend to be much larger than common carp, so the intramuscular bones are also larger and less problematic. TheLouisiana State University Agricultural Research and Extension Center has aseries of videos showing how to prepare the fish and deal with these bones.[citation needed]
Although bighead carp reach large size, they are difficult to capture with a rod and reel because of their filter-feeding habits. They may be captured by the "suspension method" used to catchsilver carp, or where legal, bysnagging with a weighted treble hook through the water. Whenbowfishing, Bighead carp cannot be shot in the air like silver carp, because they do not jump out of the water when startled by moving boats like the silver carp do. However, they often feed near the surface, where they can be shot by bowfishers, for whom they are popular targets.[citation needed]
Media related toHypophthalmichthys nobilis at Wikimedia Commons| Carp groups |
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| True carp species |
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