Silver Carp

Identification

The silver carp is a large, laterally compressed fish that can reach 100 cm and over 30 kg. Color is silvery with a dark back. Notable are the low-set eyes (below the body midline) and the absence of teeth. Instead, the silver carp has specialized gill rakers to filter phytoplankton from the water. The belly has a sharp keel.

Behavior & ecology

The silver carp is a filter feeder that filters algae and phytoplankton from the water — a feeding strategy unique among cyprinids. The species is notorious for its leaping behavior: when disturbed by boats or noise, silver carp jump up to 3 meters out of the water, posing a serious safety hazard for water sports in North America. In large numbers, the species can disrupt ecosystems through competition with native plankton feeders.

In the Netherlands

The silver carp is on the EU list of invasive alien species (EU Regulation 1143/2014). With 30 records in the database, the species is rare in the Netherlands. Specimens likely originate from escaped fish from ponds or hatcheries. Reproduction in Dutch waters has not been documented; the species requires long, warm rivers to spawn successfully. Import and trade are prohibited.