bighead carp

fish

Also known as: Hypophthalmichthys nobilis

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Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

The bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) is a freshwater fish native to eastern Asia. It has a large head and mouth and is typically dark gray with an off-white belly. Bighead carp can grow up to 100 pounds.12

These fish, along with other species like grass carp and silver carp, are often referred to as Asian carp in the United States. They were introduced to North America in the 1960s and 1970s, initially to control aquatic plants and pests in ponds and fish farms. However, they have become invasive species.1234

Bighead carp consume vast amounts of food, particularly plankton, which can disrupt native aquatic ecosystems and food webs. Their introduction has caused environmental issues in rivers and lakes in the southern and midwestern United States. Scientists are concerned about their potential to spread to the Great Lakes.123

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Asian carp
The grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), following their accidental introduction into waterways in the United States, are collectively referred to as Asian carp.
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The grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), following their accidental introduction into waterways in the United States, are collectively referred to as Asian carp.
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carp
Asian carp as invasive species
carp—the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)—were brought to North America during the 1960s and ’70s to control the growth of noxious aquatic plants, snails, and other pest organisms in ponds, fish farms, and small lakes. Floods and bait-release…
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carp—the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)—were brought to North America during the 1960s and ’70s to control the growth of noxious aquatic plants, snails, and other pest organisms in ponds, fish farms, and small lakes. Floods and bait-release…
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invasive species
A global problem
…Deep South, Asian carp—most notably bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix)—escaped into the Mississippi River system during flooding episodes in the early 1990s. After establishing self-sustaining populations in the lower Mississippi River, they began to move northward. Although breeding populations have been restricted to the Mississippi River…
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…Deep South, Asian carp—most notably bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix)—escaped into the Mississippi River system during flooding episodes in the early 1990s. After establishing self-sustaining populations in the lower Mississippi River, they began to move northward. Although breeding populations have been restricted to the Mississippi River…
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