silver carp

fish

Also known as: Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

The silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) is a freshwater fish native to eastern Asia. It is silvery-gray with a white belly and has been introduced to non-native waters, where it is often considered invasive. Silver carp, along with bighead, black, and grass carp, are collectively known as Asian carp in the U.S..1

These Asian carp species were brought to North America in the 1960s and 1970s to control aquatic plants and pests in ponds and lakes. However, floods and bait release allowed them to spread into river systems like the Mississippi. Bighead and silver carp are particularly concerning due to their consumption of plankton, which can disrupt aquatic food webs. There are concerns that these invasive species could spread to the Great Lakes, prompting the construction of barriers and other measures to prevent their migration.2

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Asian carp
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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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
…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 by sport fishers allowed members of these species to…
Read More
…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 by sport fishers allowed members of these species to…
Read More

invasive species
A global problem
…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 watershed, they could, if they…
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…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 watershed, they could, if they…
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