Pi48                                        Hypophthalmichthys molitrix  (Silver Carp)

 

Phylum   : Chordata

Class       : Actinopterygii  

Order      : Cypriniformes

Family    : Cyprinidae

Genus     : Hypophthalmichthys

Species    : H. molitrix

 

 

Description

 

Habitats: Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; potamodromous, depth range 0 - 20 m, Subtropical; 6°C - 30°C

 

Distribution: Asia: Native to most major Pacific dainages of East Asia from Amur to Xi Jiang, China and Hanoi, Vietman. Introduced around the world for aquaculture and control of algal blooms. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction

 

Morphology: The silver carp is a deep-bodied fish that is laterally compressed.  They are a very silvery in color when young and when they get older they fade from a greenish color on the back to silver on the belly. They have very tiny scales on their body but the head and the opercles are scaleless. They have a large mouth without any teeth in the jaw, but they have pharyngeal teeth. Its eyes are situated far forward on the midline of the body and are slightly turned down. Body is stout and compressed, with a sharp keel from throat to vent. Head rather small, post operculum with radiated stries; snout blunt, obtusely rounded anteriorly. Mouth is terminal, lower jaw slightly longer than upper. Dorsal fin is short, inserrated slightly behind pelvic fins, scales small. Colour silvery–white with blood red spots on body especially on caudal peduncle. Fins are dark. Silver carp is of considerable economic importance as source of protein, this carp is a primary consumerand breeds well in captivity, an additional asset in its culture.

 

IUCN status: Least Concern