Grass Carp
Ctenopharyngodon idella
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If you think you have found an aquatic invasive species:
- do not return the species to the water
- take photos
- note:
- the exact location (GPS coordinates)
- the observation date
- identifying features
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Grass Carp has a wide, scaleless head, a terminal to subterminal mouth without teeth, no barbels, a slightly lengthened upper jaw and a very short snout. It is one of the largest members of the cyprinid family. The body is slender and fairly compressed, with a rounded belly and a slightly downward lateral line on the sides extending along the middle of the depth of the tail. Its dorsal fin begins above, or just in front of, the start of the pelvic fin, and is short compared to that of Common Carp. Scales are very large with dark edges, giving a cross-hatched appearance. The colouring of adult Grass Carp is dark grey on the dorsal surface with lighter sides (white to yellow) that have a slightly golden shine, blending to white towards the belly. Its fins are clear to grey-brown. Individuals can grow to 45 kilograms, reach lengths greater than 1 metre, and life between between 5 and 11 years. Adult Grass Carp primarily eat aquatic vegetation, often uprooting large areas of vegetation which can lead to increased turbidity and poorer water quality.
An illustration of the Grass Carp, a species of Asian carp. The locations of the dorsal, anal and pelvic fins, its curved lateral line from gill to tail, as well as its lack of barbels are indicated on the illustration. Illustration by © Joseph R. Tomelleri
Grass Carp
For more information, please visit:
- Asian Carp - Fact Sheet
- Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Publications
- Binational Ecological Risk Assessment of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) For the Great Lakes Basin. (CSAS SAR - 2016/057)
Canadian Science Advisory Sectretariat, 2016/057 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada. - Update to the Ecological Risk Assessment of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) for the Great Lakes Basin: Lake Ontario (CSAS ScR - 2016/049)
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2016/049 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Proceedings of the Regional Peer Review of the Binational Ecological Risk Assessment for Grass Carp in the Great Lakes Basin; June 1-3, 2015 (CSAS Pro - 2016/052)
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2016/052 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Annotated Bibliography of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) from Russian-language Literature (CSAS ResDocs - 2016/094)
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2016/094 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Modelling Survival and Establishment of Grass Carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, in the Great Lakes Basin (CSAS ResDocs - 2016/101)
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2016/101 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Updated (2003–2015) Biological Synopsis of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) (CSAS ResDocs - 2016/102)
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2016/102 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Modelling spread and assessing movement of Grass Carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, in the Great Lakes basin (CSAS ResDocs - 2016/114)
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2016/114 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Ecological Consequences of Grass Carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, in the Great Lakes Basin: vegetation, fishes and birds (CSAS ResDocs - 2016/117)
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2016/117 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Ecological Risk Assessment of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) for the Great Lakes Basin (CSAS ResDocs - 2016/118)
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2016/118 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Update to the Ecological Risk Assessment of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) for the Great Lakes Basin: Lake Ontario
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, Regional Science Response Process - Central and Arctic Region, Research Document 2016/02/26 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Asian Carp Program – Grass Carp website
- Biological Synopsis of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
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