AsianCarp

What are they?

ThetermAsianCarpreferstofishintheCyprinidfamilysuchasgoldfish,koi,andcommoncarp.Dontworry;yourpetgoldfishisntanoutlawyet.Intheaquaticnuisancespeciesworld,thetermAsiancarpspecificallyreferstofourspeciesofintroducedcarpthatposeasignificantthreattothefreshwateraquaticenvironment:bigheadcarp(Hypophthalmichthysnobilis),silvercarp(H.molitrix),blackcarp(Mylopharyngodonpiceus),andgrasscarp(Ctenopharyngodonidella).Althoughtheywillinhabitlakesandponds,Asiancarppreferlargeslowmovingriverswithhighturbidity,moderatetolowoxygenlevelsandwarmerwatertemperatures(upto86F).

FACT:InmanyAsiancultures,thecarpisasymbolofprosperityandlongevity.

What do they look like?

TheBigheadcarp,namedafteritslargescalelessnoggin,isidentifiedbynumerousdarkblotchesonitssides,largemouth,andlowerjawthatextendspasttheupperjaw(thinkbulldog,butwithmoreslime).Itseyesaresituatedverylowonitsheadandgenerallylookdownward.Pharyngealteeth(seeSideNote)arelongandrounded,andgillrakersaresetveryclosetogethertofacilitatewaterfiltration.Asanadult,thisbrutecangrowupto4feetinlengthandweighover100pounds.

ASideNote:Asiancarpdonothavetraditionalteethontheirjaws.Theyhavewhatarecalledpharyngealteethorthroatteeth.Technicallytheseteethdontgrowoutofthethroat(thatwouldbeweird),theyareattachedtothegillarchesthesamebonysupportsthatserveasattachmentpointsforgillfilamentsandgillrakers.Carppharyngealteethcomeinmanysizesandshapes,dependingonthedietofthefish.

PharyngealTeeth

Thesilvercarphasaveryuniformcolorationthatchangesfrombrightsilverasajuveniletoamoregreenishhueasanadult.Theheadofsilvercarpisalsoscalelesswithabigupturnedmouthandlargeeyesthatarelowontheheadlookingslightlydownward.Gillrakersarethinandfusedtogetherintoaspongelikestructureforfilteringplankton,andpharyngealteethhavestriatedsurfaces.Consideredtheshrimpofthebunch,thisguycangrowupto4feetinlengthandcanweigh75100ponds.

Thegrasscarphasanoblongbodyshapecomparedtothelaterallycompressed(flattenedfromsidetoside)bodiesoftheothercarpspecies.Bodycolorationisdarksilverygreyabovewithlightgoldsidesandawhitebelly.Scalesofgrasscarpareverylargeandaresaidtoresemblethepatternofachainlinkfence.Theheadofgrasscarpisbroadwithlongserratedpharyngealteethspecializedforeatingaquaticvegetation.Thiswhopperofafishcangrowupto5feetinlengthandcanweighanamazing143pounds.

Theblackcarplooksverysimilartothegrasscarp,buthasanoverallblackbrowncolorationandblackishgreyfins.Thebodyoftheblackcarpislaterallycompressedandcoveredwithlargeblacktippedscales,givingthefishacrosshatchedappearance.Pharyngealteethofblackcarpresemblehumanmolarsandareusedtocrushtheshellsofsnailsandmollusks.Thisgoliathcanalsogrowupto5feetinlengthandweighanunbelievable150pounds.

FACT:Asiancarpcaneatanastounding540%ofitsbodyweighteachday.

Where are they from & Where are they now?

Asiancarparenativetoyouguessedit,Asia,fromsouthernchinanorthintoeasternRussia,andpossiblynorthernVietnam.

AsiancarpwerefirstintroducedintothesouthernUnitedStatesintheearly1960sand70s.Bythe1980s,threeofthefourspecieshadescapedand/orspreadintolocalwaterbodies.TodayAsiancarphavespreadthroughouttheMississippi,Ohio,Missouri,andIllinoisriversandtheirtributaries.Bigheadcarparecurrentlypresentin23states(includingCalifornia),silvercarparepresentin17states,blackcarphavebeenreportedalongthelowerMississippibasin,butcurrentdistributionandabundanceisunknown,andgrasscarp,themostwidelydistributedAsiancarpspeciescannowbefoundin45statesincludingCalifornia,OregonandWashington.

CurrentlytherearenoknownbreedingpopulationsofinvasiveAsianCarponthewestcoastletskeepitthatway!

ThemapsbelowdepictstateswithAsiancarppresenceasof2011.

FACT:InsomeareasoftheMississippibasinAsiancarpcompriseupto97%offishbiomass.

How did they get here and how are they spread?

AsiancarpwerebroughtintotheUnitedStatesintentionallybyhumanstocapitalizeonthecarpsdietarypreferences.Bighead,silverandgrasscarpwerefirstintroducedtocontrolnuisancealgaebloomsandaquaticvegetationinaquaculturefacilities,farmpondsandsewagelagoons.Blackcarpwereintroducedtocontrolaparasitehostingsnailcommonlyfoundinaquaculturefacilities.ThisrelationshipworkedwelluntilMotherNatureandafewunsuspectinghumansgotintheway.Floodeventshelpedcarpescapefromprivatepondsandaquaculturefacilitiesandhumanactivitiessuchaslivebaitreleases,intentionalstocking(tocreateafoodsource),andtheconstructionofmanmadecanalshelpedthesefishyfugitivesontheirpathtofreedom.Onceloose,Asiancarpspreadquickly,reproducedrapidly,andbecameveryVERYabundant.

FACT:Dependingonitssize,femaleAsiancarpcanproduceuptoamillioneggseachyear.

Bigheadcarp Silvercarp

Grasscarp Blackcarp

What are their impacts?

Asiancarpareeatingmachines!Eachfishcanconsumeanastounding540%ofitsbodyweightinfoodeachday.Justimaginetheimpactthiscanhaveontheaquaticecosystem!Bigheadandsilvercarpprimarilyconsumephytoplanktonandzooplankton,thefoodbaseforanumberofnativeinvertebrates,freshwatermussels,snails,juvenileandadultfishspecies.Theaptlynamedgrasscarparestrictherbivorescapableofconsumingallaquaticvegetationwithinastreamaswellasvegetationalongthestreambank.Thisaggressivefeedingbehaviormayleadtostreambankerosion,increasedwaterturbidity,siltationoffishspawninggrounds,wideswingsinwatertemperatureandoxygenlevels,alossofimportantfishhabitat,orareductioninthefoodbasefororganismssuchaswaterfowl.Theforaginghabitsofblackcarpcanleadtoasignificantreductioninnativefreshwatermusselandsnailpopulations,andmayleadtoadeclineinthoseorganismsthatdependonmollusksasafoodresourcesuchasnativefish,turtles,birds,andmammals.Besidestheirgluttonousdietaryhabitsthatdamagehabitatsanddepleteimportantfoodresources,Asiancarpmaytransmitdiseasetonativefishpopulations,threateneconomicallyimportantcommercialandsportfisheries,ruintheaestheticandrecreationalvalueofawaterbodyaswellasposeathreattounsuspectingwaterrecreationalists.Silvercarpspontaneouslyleapfromthewaterwhentheyfeelthreatenedorhearloudnoisessuchasaboatmotor.Althoughitsoundsfunny,inreality,catchinga20+poundcarpinthefacecanleadtosomeprettyseriousinjuries.Seeavideoofflyingsilvercarphere:http://animal.discovery.com/tvshows/rivermonsters/videos/carphavepanicattack.htm

FACT:Bigheadandsilvercarplackatruestomach,whichrequiresthemtofeedalmostcontinuously.

Menace Management?

Alotoftime,money,andefforthasbeenspentbycountlessprivate,state,andfederalorganizationslookingforthepanaceaofcarpcontrol.Unfortunatelythereisnosinglecontrolmethodthatis100%effectiveateliminatingcarpshortofpoisoninganentirewaterbody.Conventionalcontrolmethodssuchastrapping,seining,explosives,herdingwithnoiseorlight,electricalbarriers,thermalbarriers,bubbleandnoisewalls,hydraulicmodifications,oxygendeprivation,andsonicdisruption,onlyservetokeepburgeoningpopulationsfromspreadingfurther.ChemicaltreatmentssuchasRotenoneandcoppersulfateareveryeffectiveateliminatingcarp,butkillnativefishandotheraquaticorganismsintheprocess.Researchersareinvestigatingtheuseofnaturalcarppheromonestocoerceandcontrolthebehaviorofcarptoenhancecaptureratesorinterferewithreproduction,butthesuccessofthesemethodshasnotbeensufficientlyevaluated.Manystatesareencouragingtherecreationalandcommercial

harvestofAsianCarptoreducepopulations.GrassrootscampaignswithcatchysloganssuchasIfyoucantbeatem,eatem,orEradicationbymastication,encouragetheconsumptionofcarpasacontrolmethod.Whileinternationalmarketsarestrong,ongoingeffortstodevelopAsiancarpmarketswithintheUnitedStateshavemetwithmoreresistancelikelyduetosocietysimageofcarpasabottomfeedingtrashfish.Withcurrenteconomicuncertaintiesandanincreasingglobalpopulation,itmayonlybeamatteroftimebeforeyouseesilverfinonthedinnermenu.Currentlegislation(LaceyAct)prohibitstheimportandtransportofAsiancarp(specificallysilver,bigheadandblack)inmanystates.However,theseandothermanagementeffortsarecontinuouslyunderminedbytheillegalsale,shipping,andstockingofAsiancarp.PublicoutreachandeducationremainsthefirstlineofdefenseagainstthespreadofAsiancarp.ThemorepeoplewhoknowabouttheenvironmentalandeconomicproblemsAsiancarpcancause,theeasieritwillbetosloworstopthespreadofthesefoulfish.

FACT:InablindtastetestconductedbytheUniversityofArkansas,consumersratedcannedsilvercarpequaltoorbetterthancannedtunaandsalmon.

How can YOU prevent the spread of Asian carp?

Tominimizethepotentialspreadofthesecarp,followthesesimplesteps.

NEVER:moveliveorganismsfromonewaterbodytoanotheritisillegal! Dont:harvestbaitortransportwaterfrominfestedwaterbodies. Disposeofunwantedbaitinthetrash,NOTinwaterbodies. NEVER:releasefishfromonewaterbodyintoanother. DRAIN:allofthewaterfromyourboat(includingthebilge,livewell,motor),trailer,tackle,

andgear,awayfromwaterwaysandstormdrains. LearnhowtocorrectlyidentifyAsiancarpandotheraquaticnuisancespecies.

What if I find an Asian carp? Ifyouthinkyouhavefoundasilver,bigheadorblackcarp,contacttheAquaticNuisanceSpeciesTaskForceat1877STOPANS.