Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (Richardson, 1845)

Bighead carp

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Cypriniformes \| Cyprinidae
Synonyms	Leuciscus nobilis, Aristichthys nobilis, ... more
Common names	Carpe à grosse tête, Carpa cabezona, Big head, ... more

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Image of Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (Bighead carp)

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Main reference

Kottelat, M. 2001. (Ref. 44416)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 112 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2059); max. published weight: 21.3 kg (Ref. 40637)

Length at first maturity

L_m 65.00, range 55 - 70 cm

Environment

Benthopelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; depth range 5 - ? m

Climate / Range

Temperate; 4°C - 26°C (Ref. 37797); 64°N - 18°S

Asia: China. Introduced to numerous countries and has achieved a near global distribution. However, its breeding requirements are very specialized and stocks are maintained by artificial reproduction or continuous importation. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal spines: 1 - 3; Anal soft rays: 12 - 14. Body with numerous scattered small black blotches. Keels extend from pelvic base to anus. Barbels absent. Posterior margin of last simple dorsal ray not serrated. Branched anal rays 13-14.5 (Ref. 13274).

Occurs in rivers and lakes. Feeds mainly on zooplankton. Bottom feeding fish (Ref. 6459). Marketed fresh and frozen.


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Not Evaluated	Potential pest

Human uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment Abundance	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

Tools
Biogeographic modelling \| Bio-Quiz \| E-book \| Field guide \| Length-frequency wizard \| Life-history tool \| Point map

Special reports
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Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)

PD₅₀ = 0.6250

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=3-5; tmax=20; K=0.15-0.27; Fec=50,000-1 million)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
High vulnerability (61 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Luna, Susan M.

Modified by Torres, Armi G.

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