Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) is a freshwater, brackish species recorded in Hong Kong, United States. It is mainly found over rocky, sand, estuary, at depths of 0–20 m. The main season in Hong Kong, United States runs all year.
Scientific name: Hypophthalmichthys molitrix · Water: Freshwater, Brackish · Season: All year
Size: up to 120 cm
Weight: up to 50 kg
The Silver carp is a large filter-feeding cyprinid whose gill rakers are fused into a sponge-like sieve, so it pumps water constantly to strain phytoplankton and is almost impossible to take on a normal hook and bait; the dough-ball suspension method, legal snagging, or American bowfishing are the practical options. Imported from Asia in the 1970s for algae control, it escaped and now swarms the Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee and Wabash rivers and their tributaries, from Louisiana north to South Dakota and Illinois, with records from Pickwick and Wheeler reservoirs in Alabama. Because it leaps clear of the water when startled it is nicknamed the flying carp, and it is one of the Great Lakes region's most troublesome invaders; spring high water triggers upstream spawning runs and summer shallows and backwaters hold the densest fish. Hong Kong has it all year. Maximum about 120 cm total length and 50 kg, with American sources giving 140 cm and a common range of 60 to 100 cm. Lifespan is about 20 years. IUCN lists it as Near Threatened.
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