FAST FACTS Bighead carp

Where did the bighead carp come from?
The bighead carp is native to Asia.
It was introduced to the Mississippi River when private hatchery ponds were washed out in the state of Arkansas in the 1970s, or possibly they were let go into the wild when they were no longer needed by fish farmers.
Appeared in open water in the early 1980s in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
Bighead carp have been found in at least 19 states and Lake Erie.
Why are bighead carp a problem?
Bighead carp eat blue green algae, zooplankton, and aquatic insects and larva.
The bighead carp does not have a true stomach, so it must constantly eat.
It is also thought that bighead carp will compete for food with fish that are still in the larval stage, and fish populations decrease because the larval fish do not get enough food to survive.
The bighead carp is also a very high jumper. They can jump high enough to strike boaters in their boats.
Bighead carp spawn when the water temperature is between 77-86 degrees.
Females spawn between April and June, with the peak spawning season in late May.
Females carry 660,000-872,000 eggs on average.
As female bighead carp get older, they increase the number of eggs they carry each time they spawn.
What do bighead carp look like?
Bighead carp are dark green to olive in color on their backs.
They have gray to silvery sides, with a white to cream colored belly.
The scales are very tiny, and the eyes are set below the midline of the body.
The body of a bighead carp is long and flat.
The head is very large compared to the body, this is where the fish gets it's name, the bighead carp.
They can weigh from 55-110 lbs (25-50 kg).
Bighead carp can be up to 59 inches (1.5 meters) long.
They have long gill rakers, which allow them to strain plankton from the water for food.
Source: Seagrant