Grass Carp Fish Diagram

In most cases if stocked at a rate of 10 15 per acre these fish can control all of your weed problems within a year s time.

Grass carp fish diagram. Grass carp have elongated torpedo shaped body forms. The common carp cyprinus carpio has been in the us for over 100 years. The grass carp grows very rapidly and young fish stocked in the spring at 20 centimetres 7 9 in will reach over 45 centimetres 18 in by fall and adults often attain nearly 1 2 metres 3 9 ft in length and over 18 kilograms 40 lb in weight. The grass carp does not tear out aquatic plants by rooting and muddying the water.

Grass carp grow very quickly an 8 inch fish stocked in spring might be 18 inches by fall which is one of the reasons they are favored by aquaculturists. Their normal life span is five to nine years with some populations surviving beyond 15 years. They eat up to 3 times their own body weight daily. The newest carp invaders bighead carp black carp grass carp and silver carp collectively known as asian carp however are causing their own brand of trouble in the mississippi river and rivers and lakes.

Grass carp are a non native species that were imported into the u s. The grass carp ctenopharyngodon idella is a large herbivorous freshwater fish species of the family cyprinidae native to eastern asia with an original range from northern vietnam to the amur river on the siberia china border. The grass carp actually tends to mow plants eating them from the top down because of the way its mouth is placed. Grass carp also do not prey upon invertebrates fish eggs or small fish.

They much prefer water weeds and thin leaved pond weeds. Today grass carp are stocked in many private lakes and ponds to control excess vegetation. Carp are a family of fish native to europe and asia. Used as a biological means of aquatic weed control in farm ponds and lakes.

Freshwater fish species of the family cyprinidae. Here are seven tips on how to catch grass carp. In the 1970s they were introduced to a number of lakes and ponds in florida as part of an experimental effort to control aquatic weeds particularly the exotic plant hydrilla hydrilla verticillata the goal was to use these herbivorous fish to graze down nuisance plants. From asia in the 1960 s to control aquatic plants in reservoirs and fish farms.

Grass carp are freshwater fish that feed primarily on aquatic plants. In some cases it is better to. This asian carp is the only species of the genus ctenopharyngodon.