Mylopharyngodon piceus

Common name. Black carp.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar Ctenopharyngodon idella by: ● body black, blue-grey or dark-brown / ○ body slightly compressed / ● pharyngeal teeth molar-like, massive, smooth, very strong (Figure 43). Size up to 1800 mm SL and more than 60 kg.

Distribution. Used in aquaculture; stocked in Rioni (Georgia), Danube, Dniestr, Dniepr, Don, Kuban, and Volga drainages. Reproductive populations established only in Amu Darya (Central Asia) and possibly in Tone drainages (Japan), not in West Asia. Native to most major Pacific drainages, from Amur to Xi Jiang.

Habitat. Stocked to reservoirs. In native range, large lowland rivers and lakes usually with clear water and high oxygen concentrations.

Biology. Spawns first time at 6–11 years, females later than males, at about 1000 mm SL and 15 kg, males at 900 mm and 11 kg. Migrates upstream and spawns in open waters from March to July. Spawns when water level rises, at 19–30°C. Eggs pelagic or semi-pelagic, hatching while drifting downstream. If river is blocked or available river reaches are too short, eggs cannot drift long enough to develop. Larvae settle in floodplain lakes and channels with little or no current. Larvae feed on zooplankton, then ostracods and aquatic insects. At about 120 mm SL, juveniles begin to feed on small snails and clams; larger juveniles and adults feed almost exclusively on molluscs.

Conservationstatus. Non-native;stockedtocontrolbivalves. In West Asia, persists only in Rioni (Georgia) through stock - ing. Native stocks in Russia and China have declined sharply. Expected to disappear if stocking is stopped.

Remarks. Introduced to control of populations of molluscan vectors of fish and human parasites. Commonly used to remove Dreissena mussels that clog hydroelectric plants.

Further reading. Evtushenko et al. 1994 (biology); Bíró 1999b (biology); Nico et al. 2001 (biology, introductions); Nico et al. 2005 (synopsis).