Black Carp

 

Photo by: Matthew R. Thomas

Identification: A large fish similar to the Grass Carp with a stout, long, and cylindrical body, dark brown or blue-gray scales, and dark gray to black fins. Black Carp differ from Grass Carp by having a darker body and fin color, and a narrower head with a more pointed snout that slightly overhangs the mouth. Adults can grow to about 6 feet and weigh up to 150 pounds, but the largest individual captured in the United States was 5.25 feet and weighed 115 pounds.

Distribution and Habitat: Native to eastern Asia, the Black Carp was first imported into the United States in the 1970s for use in fish farms to control pond snails. More recently, escapees have become established in the lower and middle portions of the Mississippi River basin. It is now established in far western Kentucky in the Mississippi and lower Ohio Rivers and associated floodplain lakes and backwaters, as well as the lower Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, including Kentucky and Barkley reservoirs.