The Black Carp Invasion

North America, especially the United States hosts some of the most beautiful rivers and lakes on the entire planet. That is in thanks to its geographical location, and the extent of the level of technology that is available to the world because of American engineers and scientists. Scientists are given the opportunity to create chemicals or other inventions that are beneficial to the waterways. As well as building structures strong enough to harness the sheer power of water; altering the course it will take downstream as well as blocking it from ever reaching a specific location. The Asian carp invasion is causing massive amounts of damage; one would believe that because of the advancing field of technology a solution would be a relatively

The Black carp originated in many of the Pacific drainage areas of eastern Asia, China, and parts of Russia and Vietnam. Black carp was introduced to the United States in the 1970’s to fish hatcheries and to control the populations of disease carrying snails in ponds. Flooding is the main factor to thank for the release of the black carp, which quickly turned into an invasion of the waterways. The Black carp is a medium size fish with the opportunity to become an extremely large fish if the conditions are favorable. “Based on Asian records, large adults may be more than 1.5 m total length and 70 kg or more in weight”(Nico,L.G). The black and grass carp is close to identical in regard to the characteristics of one another. However, the black carp is a slightly lighter color of black, with extremely large scales on the entire body. A black carp has human like molars as teeth that are used to crush snails and mollusks. With a slightly pointed snout that is a likely adaptation used to filter through the bottom of water bodies in search of food. The physical build of a black carp exhibits the design of a bottom-dwelling feeder. Sporting a long snout, large powerful human molar like teeth the black carp is built to succeed in water full of snails and mollusks. This means that the populations of already near extinct native snails and mollusks are at great risk of being

Fuller, P.J. Schofield, M.E. Neilson, A.J. Benson, and J. Li.). The grass carp is a species that is easily recognized while on the water or near the water. Silver on the sides that darkens towards the top of the fish that runs the entire length of the fish. “The dorsal fin origin is anterior to the pelvic fin origin and it has a short caudal peduncle” (Nico, L.G., P.L. Fuller, P.J. Schofield, M.E. Neilson, A.J. Benson, and J. Li.). The grass carp is typically the smallest in size in comparison to the first three carps. Weighing in at average of fifty pounds. In the past the grass carp species has been introduced to United States waters for the control of biological vegetation. “This species was first imported to the United States in 1963 to aquaculture facilities in Auburn, Alabama, and Stuttgart, Arkansas. The first release of this species into open waters took place at Stuttgart, Arkansas, when fish escaped the Fish Farming Experimental. However, many of the early stockings in Arkansas were in lakes or reservoirs open to stream systems, and by the early 1970s there were many reports of Grass Carp captured in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.” (Nico, L.G., P.L. Fuller, P.J. Schofield, M.E. Neilson, A.J. Benson, and J. Li). The life expectancy for the grass carp is five to nine years of age. The grass carp is an aquatic vegetarian,