Asian Carp By Kenneth

Description Grass, Silver, Black and Bighead carp are known as the “4 domesticated fish” in China. They are the most important freshwater fish species for food and Chinese medicine. Bighead and Silver Carp are the most important fish, worldwide, in terms of total aquaculture production. Black carp grows up to three feet long, and over 70 pounds, and feeds on snails and muscles. The Grass carp grows up to 1.2 metres and can weight up to 40 pounds, and they generally have scales. Bighead carp can weigh up to 100lbs and have no scales on their heads

How they got here Grass carp was imported to North America for aquatic weed control Silver Carp was imported to North America to control the plankton population. The Bighead carps value as a food fish is why it was imported to North America, but escaped or was let go into the wild. The Black carp was imported to North America to control the snail population in the aquaculture.

Where They Are Now Bighead Carp have been found in Lake Erie in Ontario Grass Carp have been found in every great lake except Superior Both Silver and Black carp have never been seen anywhere in Canada

Before the Grass carp arrived in North America, there were much more aquatic weeds, and after they arrived the aquatic weed population in much more controlled Before the Black carp arrived in North America, there was a much higher population of aquatic snails in the aquaculture, and now the aquatic snail population is much more controlled. Before the Bighead and Silver carp arrived in North America, there was a much higher plankton population, and now the plankton population is much smaller.

Silver and Bighead carp population has severely increased since they arrived in North America, and in turn has decreased the plankton population and threatened the native fish species. Grass Carp has helped the aquatic ecosystem by getting rid of most aquatic weeds Black carp posed a threat to the mollusks that were native to the U.S, which were already an endangered species, so in 2007, they made the Black carp an “injurious species”, and made it illegal to transport live Black carp to the U.S

To stop the Asian carp from causing any problems, they usually capture and kill any carp found in Canada, specifically the Great Lakes