Black carp

{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name = IUCN>{{cite iucn |author=Bogutskaya, N. |year=2022 |title=''Mylopharyngodon piceus'' |article-number=e.T166112A156739085 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T166112A156739085.en |access-date=24 January 2025 }}</ref> | image = Mylopharyngodon piceus.jpg | image_caption = Adult | taxon = Mylopharyngodon piceus | display_parents = 3 | authority = (J. Richardson, 1846) | synonyms = *''Leuciscus piceus'' J. Richardson, 1846 *''Leuciscus aethiops'' Basilewsky, 1855 *''Myloleuciscus aethiops'' (Basilewsky, 1855) *''Myloleucus aethiops'' (Basilewsky, 1855) *''Mylopharyngodon aethiops'' (Basilewsky, 1855) *''Leuciscus dubius'' Bleeker, 1864 *''Barbus tonkinensis'' Sauvage, 1884 *''Myloleuciscus atripinnis'' Garman, 1912 *''Leucisculus fuscus'' Ōshima, 1920 | synonyms_ref = <ref name = "Cof genus"/> }} [[File:Black carp, aquaculture production, thousand tonnes, 1950-2022.svg|thumb|Global aquaculture production of Black carp (''Mylopharyngodon piceus'') in thousand tonnes from 1950 to 2022, as reported by the FAO<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fisheries and Aquaculture - Global Production |url=https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/collection/global_production?lang=en |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)}}</ref>]]

The '''black carp''' or '''Chinese black roach''' ('''''Mylopharyngodon piceus''''') is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Xenocyprididae, the East Asian minnows or sharpbellies.<ref name = "Cof genus">{{Cof genus|genus=Metzia|access-date=24 January 2025}}</ref> The black carp is the sole extant species of the genus ''Mylopharyngodon''. It is native to lakes and rivers in East Asia, ranging from the Amur Basin across China to Vietnam.<ref name=fishbase>{{FishBase |genus= Mylopharyngodon |species= piceus | month = July| year = 2022}}</ref> One of the largest xenocypridids in the world, the black carp has a typical length of {{cvt|60|-|120|cm|in|round=0.5}}, though it can reach up to {{cvt|1.9|m}} in length and {{cvt|35|kg}} in weight.<ref name=fishbase/> It is carnivorous and generally feeds on invertebrates such as snails, clams, and mussels.

Black carp, together with bighead carp, silver carp, and grass carp, make up the culturally important "four famous domestic fishes" used in polyculture in China for over 1000 years. It has also been introduced in the United States as one of the invasive "Asian carps", though it is not as widely distributed worldwide as the other three.

In China, black carp is widely cultivated for food and Chinese medicine, being one of the most highly esteemed and expensive domestic food fish,<ref>Chu, X. et al. 1989. The fishes of Yunnan China. Part 1. Cyprinidae. Science Press, Beijing, China.</ref> and partly because of its diet and limited food supply, is the most scarce and expensive in the marketplace among the "four famous domestic fishes".<ref>Chu X. 1984.The fishes of Fujian Province. Part 1. Fujian Science and Technology Press, Fujian, China.</ref> <!-- out of place - not BLACK carp ==Ecological role and behaviors== In its non-native habitat, the Asian carp outcompetes many other fishes. Since they have no natural predators in their new habitat, as well as their rapid reproduction rate, populations of Asian carp have gotten out of control. In the US, due to their huge populations in certain bodies of water, they are thought to reduce water quality, as well, which leads to decline in populations of sensitive aquatic species in areas where they have migrated.<ref>Bighead carp. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatic/fish-and-other-vertebrates/bighead-carp</ref> In their original habitat, they are a highly desirable delicacy. They are used as food and have been overfished to the point of dwindling populations. In Asia, Asian carp are used to actually improve water quality, since they feed on the plants that would be present in algae blooms and other such aquatic nuisances. The Asian carp is a perfect example of how an invasive species affects its new habitat. In his native waters, it fits into the ecosystem and plays an important role, but when introduced to a completely new ecosystem where the native species did not co-evolve with this species , no natural predators are available to keep the ecological balance. Due to this, the introduced species, the Asian carp, reproduces uncontrollable and elicits significant changes in this new habitat.

Asian carp naturally control algae, weed, and parasite growth, so were originally introduced to the US in the 1960s.<ref>Bighead carp. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatic/fish-and-other-vertebrates/bighead-carp</ref> When uncontrolled, though, they outcompete other native fish for food and space. This causes ecological problems in areas where they are not native. Their jumping behavior also poses a risk to boaters and water skiers. Asian carp have a tendency to jump out of the water, sometimes up to 10 feet, when frightened or startled, as an escape mechanism.<ref>Ghose, T. (2015, April 14). Holy Flying Fish! Why Jumping Asian Carp Bombard Rowers. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/50482-why-asian-carp-jump.html </ref> As these fish travel in schools, the flight or fight instinct creates a dangerous situation for any unsuspecting travelers on the water's surface. This ability to jump out of the water can also be linked to their migration capacities during high flood events that may bring bodies of water closer together and allow the Asian carp to enter areas they previously did not inhabit. -->

==Description== {{multiple image|perrow=1 | align = left | image1 = Schwarzer Amur (Mylopharyngodon piceus), juvenile.jpg | total_width=250 | caption1 = |alt1=Silvery brown baby fish with elongate body habit and clear fins | image2 = Juvenile black carp.jpg | caption2 = |alt2=Darker elongate fish next to ruler, at least 16 inches long excluding tail | footer = Juvenile black carps at different stages of development }} Black carp are elongated fish with a fusiform body. They appear dusky gray, brown, or bluish black and have dark fins.<ref name="kroboth">{{cite journal |last1=Kroboth |first1=Patrick T. |last2=Chapman |first2=Duane C. |last3=Hrabik |first3=Robert A. |last4=Neely |first4=David A. |title=Characteristics for the External Identification of Black Carp From Grass Carp |journal=Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management |year=2019 |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=304–313 |doi=10.3996/112018-JFWM-102|bibcode=2019JFWM...10..304K |doi-access=free }}</ref> Their dorsal fin is high and pointed. In comparison to grass carp, the distances from the eye to the superior and inferior edges of the preoperculum are respectively longer, contributing to the elongated appearance of the scaleless head.<ref name="kroboth" /> Unlike in grass carp, the upper lip does not appear to protrude beyond the lower lip when viewed from above with the fish's mouth closed.<ref name="kroboth" /> The black carp has large cycloid scales on its body and a forked tail fin behind a broad caudal peduncle. This fish has 24 chromosomes with a genome size of 848.70 Mbp.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Yuxuan |last2=Shao |first2=Yanwen |last3=Cai |first3=Wenlong |last4=Li |first4=Runsheng |title= Chromosome-level genome assembly of black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus using Nanopore and Hi-C technologies |journal=Scientific Data |year=2025 |volume=12 |issue=145|article-number=145 |doi=10.1038/s41597-025-04421-1 |pmid=39863650 |doi-access=free|pmc=11763064 |bibcode=2025NatSD..12..145Z }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Black carp (''M. piceus'') annotation file (gff3 and cds)|url=https://scholars.cityu.edu.hk/en/datasets/result-datasets-for-chromosome-level-genome-assembly-of-black-car|access-date=21 July 2025|date=2025|website=CityUHK scholar deposit}}</ref>

==Black carp in the United States== [[File:佐々木さんとアオウオ.jpg|thumb|Caught in Tome, Japan]] The black carp was first accidentally introduced into the United States during a grass carp shipment from Asia in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Black carp (''Mylopharyngodon piceus'')|url=https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticanimals/black-carp/index.html|access-date=21 July 2022|date=2022|website=Minnesota Department of Natural Resources}}</ref> It was later intentionally introduced to the US in the 1980s for use in retention ponds and aquaculture facilities to manage yellow grub and aquatic snail populations. It was also to be used as food fish, but flooding in the South caused these populations of carp to spread into the Mississippi watershed.<ref name="nuisance" >{{cite web|title=Asian Carp: Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524013620/https://www.fws.gov/columbiariver/ans/factsheets/Asian_carp.pdf|url=https://www.fws.gov/columbiariver/ans/factsheets/Asian_carp.pdf|archive-date=24 May 2020|website=Fws.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/species/black-carp-mylopharyngodon-piceus|title=FWS Focus: Black Carp|website=U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service|access-date=28 May 2026}}</ref> They continued to spread via the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, where they began to form wild populations. Black carp later began to migrate to connected river systems and spread by continued flooding events.

The nature of the black carp's diet has led to its use in the United States in the control of snails in aquaculture. Snails are obligate alternate hosts of trematode pests that can cause substantial losses to aquaculture crops. Some state aquaculture laws require the carp to be bred as triploids, to render them sterile, thus minimizing the potential for the fish to escape and create self-sustaining populations. The use of triploids, though, does require the maintenance and use of fertile diploid brood stock at least at some location for production of the triploids.

Many mechanical control methods have been used to control the population of Asian carp, including use of noise, walls of bubbles, netting, and even explosions, but these have only succeeded in slowing the spread of carp.<ref name="nuisance"/> The most effective methods, such as chemical poisoning, are successful at killing carp, but also affect other fish in the body of water, further disrupting the ecosystem.<ref name="nuisance" />

Currently, novel control methods are being researched that use carp pheromones to control their behavior.<ref name="nuisance" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mackey |first1=C.M. |last2=Calfee |first2=R.D. |last3=Sorensen |first3=P.W. |last4=Rue |first4=M.C.P. |last5=Leese |first5=J.M. |last6=Ghosal |first6=R. |last7=Lim |first7=H. |title=Physiological and behavioral responses of bighead and silver carp to chemicals associated with common carp sex pheromones: U.S. Geological Survey data release |website=USGS |doi=10.5066/P9K7KWM3 |url=https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5f85c9aa82cebef40f14c5e5 |date=2020 |access-date=21 July 2022}}</ref> Another widespread effort involves using carp as a food source. Locals in areas where carp have invaded are encouraged to catch and eat them.<ref name="nuisance" /> Efforts to prevent Asian carp from spreading to crucial ecosystems such as the Great Lakes or waterways on the West Coast are ongoing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Asian Carp |website=Washington Invasive Species Council |publisher=Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office |url=https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/priorityspecies/asian-carp/ |access-date=21 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Efforts To Keep Asian Carp Out Of The Great Lakes Move Forward Under New Agreements |last=Kaeding |first=Danielle |url=https://www.wpr.org/efforts-keep-asian-carp-out-great-lakes-move-forward-under-new-agreements |year=2021 |access-date=21 July 2022 |website=Wisconsin Public Radio}}</ref> Local laws prevent human release of these fish in these waterways, and population controls have also contributed to this success. No state allows the intentional release of black carp, sterile or otherwise, but the United States Geological Survey reports that more than 60 confirmed black carp have been caught in the Mississippi River basin. This basin is the second-largest drainage system on the North American continent. The Mississippi River spans 2320 miles, while the entire system covers 1,151,000 sq mi. The presence of black carp within this enormous river system means that this highly invasive species has access to a vast range of bodies of water covering the majority of the Midwestern United States. Rivers where black carp have been captured also include the White in Arkansas, the Atchafalaya and Red in Louisiana, and the Kaskaskia and Illinois Rivers in Illinois. One confirmed escape of black carp from aquaculture has occurred on the Osage River in Missouri, but other escapes are likely, because most early captures were far from this location, in the southern Mississippi basin. Most of the captured fish have been confirmed to be diploid and assumed fertile. Two diploid fingerlings were captured near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 2016,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/scientists-discovery-of-young-wild-black-carp-troubling/article_624df08d-ad26-52b8-8acc-eb95e12965fd.html|title=Scientists: Discovery of young, wild black carp troubling|first=Margaret|last=Stafford|website=STLtoday.com|date=5 March 2016|access-date=20 July 2022}}</ref> a sign of natural reproduction of this species in the wild. In Louisiana, many other reports by knowledgeable fishers of their capture have not been verified by biologists.<ref>Nico et al. 2005. Black carp: biological synopsis and risk assessment of an introduced fish American Fisheries Society Special Publication 32. 337 pp.</ref>

thumb|Filets Black carp are considered to be a serious threat to mollusks native to the United States, many of which are critically endangered. In 2007, the black carp was listed as an "injurious species" under the Lacey Act of 1900.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Federal Register |title=Injurious Wildlife Species; Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), U.S. President. Rule. |volume=72 |issue=201 |pages=59019–59035 |date=18 October 2007 |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2007-10-18/07-5141 |access-date=20 July 2022}}</ref> Transporting live black carp, whether sterile or fertile, into the United States or across state lines is thus illegal in most cases.

==Anatomy and physiology== Black carp have enameloid teeth<ref name="he">{{cite journal |last1=He |first1=Chong |last2=Zhou |first2=Wu |last3=Wang |first3=Hongtao |last4=Shi |first4=San-Qiang |last5=Yao |first5=Haimin |title=Mechanics of Pharyngeal Teeth of Black Carp (''Mylopharyngodon piceus'') Crushing Mollusk Shells |journal=Advanced Engineering Materials |doi=10.1002/adem.201200304 |year=2013 |volume=15 |issue=8 |pages=684–690}}</ref> located in the posterior pharynx between the cleithral bones.<ref name="kroboth" /> There are four teeth on the left side and five teeth on the right side of the pharynx in adults.<ref name="he" /> As the black carp prepare to crush shelled prey, they forcibly occlude their pharyngeal teeth.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lu |first1=Ying |last2=Xia |first2=Huimin |last3=Zhai |first3=Wanying |last4=Liu |first4=Jie |last5=Zhou |first5=Yan |last6=Xu |first6=Xiaoyan |last7=Xiao |first7=Jun |last8=Chen |first8=Liting |last9=Luo |first9=Liming |last10=Shen |first10=Yubang |last11=Li |first11=Jiale |title=Genome survey sequence of black carp provides insights into development-related gene duplications |journal=Journal of the World Aquaculture Society |date=December 2022 |volume=53 |issue=6 |pages=1197–1214 |doi=10.1111/jwas.12870 |bibcode=2022JWAS...53.1197L |language=en |issn=0893-8849|doi-access=free }}</ref> A horny patch above the pharyngeal teeth helps to position and hold the prey in place as it is crushed.<ref name="he" /> The pharyngeal teeth will be replaced multiple times during the life of the carp.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Huanliang |last2=Li |first2=Hua |last3=Zhai |first3=Baoxiang |last4=Liu |first4=Wei |year=1990 |title=Post-Larval Development of the Masticating Apparatus of Black Carp ''Mylopharyngodon piceus''(Richardson) |journal=Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=310–320 |doi=10.3724/issn1000-3207-1990-4-310-w |url=http://ssswxb.ihb.ac.cn/article/1990/4?pageType=en |access-date=21 July 2022}}</ref>

==Etymology== Generic name from Greek mylo- "mill" + New Latin pharynx- "throat" + Greek odon "tooth".<ref name="fishbase" /> Specific name from Latin piceus "pitch black."

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatic/fish-and-other-vertebrates/black-carp Species Profile- Black Carp (Asian Carp) (''Mylopharyngodon piceus'')], National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library. Lists general information and reseources for black carp. {{commons category|Mylopharyngodon piceus}} {{carp}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q909455}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Carp}} Category:Carp Category:Freshwater fish of China Category:Xenocyprididae Category:Taxa named by John Richardson (naturalist) Category:Fish described in 1846