Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Carnivorous fishes such as northern pike, muskellunge, walleye, largemouth bass are well known predators (Froese and Pauly, 2002; Baldry, 2004). However, these predators cannot eat adult river carpsuckers. Humans are the biggest fish predators and usually Asian people prefer to eat these kinds of fishes. In addition, some birds like great blue herons may feed on river carp suckers (Baldry, 2004).
Known Predators:
Carpiodes carpio is somewhat stout and its back is a little bit arched and compressed. The dorsal area is brown-olive and fades to silver then white at its belly. The fins are usually opaque. The fins of older fish are dark yellow. The midpoint of the lower lip is projected like a nipple and has big scales. Small tubercules are observed on the body of males in breeding seasons.
Adult carpsuckers are usually 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) in length and 1 to 3 lbs (453.6 to 1361 g) in weight. Sometimes, fish weighing over 10 lbs (4546 g) are caught.
Range mass: 4546 (high) g.
Average mass: 453.6-1361 g.
Average length: 30-45 cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
The river carpsucker usually lives 2 to 4 years. Thus, fish over six years old is not observed easily in nature. However, this species can live for 10 years.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 10 (high) years.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 2 to 4 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 2 to 4 years.
Carpiodes carpio has a preference for large and deep rivers that have sand or silt bottoms with slower-moving current even though the river carpsucker has high adaptability to various kinds of habitats. In addition, this carpsucker lives in backwaters of smaller creeks. Another habitat recorded is comparatively shallow water having a large biomass of tubificids and little nutrients.
Average elevation: below about 2,135 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; freshwater
Aquatic Biomes: benthic ; lakes and ponds; rivers and streams
Carpiodes carpio was originally distributed in the Mississippi River basin from Pennsylvania to Montana. In addition, this species lives in Louisiana and the Gulf Slope Drainage from the Calcasieu River to the Rio Grande in Texas and New Mexico (Page and Burr, 1991).
The introduction of Carpiodes carpio into other areas was likely caused by shipments of buffalo fishes (Ictiobus spp.) in Lake Erie and the lower Maumee River, Ohio. These buffalo fishes were deliberately introduced and stocked for sport fishing and aquaculture in Ohio in western Lake Erie between 1920 and 1930. However, the effects of the introduction are not well known and studied (Lee et al. 1980; Trautman 1981; Page and Burr 1991).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced , Native ); neotropical (Introduced )
The river carpsucker is well known as a bottom feeder and detritivore. This species eats and filters nutrients from silt and detritus. It ingests all kinds of items on the river bottom like algae, protozoans, chironomids, microcrustaceans, various tiny planktonic plants and animals (Becker 1983; Sublette et al. 1990).
Juveniles eat similar items as adults. However, items eaten are smaller.
Animal Foods: insects; aquatic crustaceans; zooplankton
Plant Foods: algae; phytoplankton
Other Foods: detritus ; microbes
Foraging Behavior: filter-feeding
Primary Diet: omnivore ; detritivore
Commercial fisherman caught the river carpsuckers for food during the 1960s. This species was one of the most plentiful fishes in Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico (Jester 1972). Another place which has a relatively large abundance was in Caballo Reservoir in Texas. However, the river carpsuckers are reduced rapidly by the effect of toxics in the reservoir.
Even though most people in the United States think the river carpsucker is useless and not palatable, these fish are popular food in Asia. Capiodes carpio is also referred to as “cold water buffalo” in some areas of the southern United States (Sublette et al. 1990).
Positive Impacts: food
This species has no known negative effects on humans.
Information about life history and developmental stages is not well known. However, the river carpsucker broadcasts its eggs on the silt or sand in spring (Sublette et al. 1990). The characteristics of the eggs are adhesive and demersal. Also, an egg diameter is about 1.7 to 2.1 mm. After 8 to 15 days, young fry hatch.
Some reports and proposals were suggested in order to protect native population and habitat in the river from the river carpsucker. Also, the removal of these species was related to management of water uses.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
The river carpsucker is not considered a game species. This species is also called carpsucker, white carp, quillback, silvery carp, northern carpsucker.
Reproduction of the river carpsucker usually occurs in late spring. In a breeding season, this species gathers in large groups and spawns. Although the spawning peak is not well described, ripening time is quite different for individuals and does not occur synchronously. Some females spawn more than once per year. This carpsucker broadcasts eggs randomly and usually releases over 100,000 eggs.
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
The river carpsucker can produce eggs at age 2 to 3 but sexual maturity depends on sex. Maturity is age 2 to 3 for males and age 3 to 4 in females (Becker 1983).
The water temperature where the river carpsucker can spawn ranges from 18.3 to 19.1°C. Spawning occurs from the late spring and lasts until the beginning of summer when the water temperature ranges from 24.0 to 27.5°C.
Breeding interval: Usually more than once per a year
Breeding season: From late in the spring to June or July
Average number of offspring: over 100,000 eggs.
Average gestation period: 8 to 15 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 3 to 4 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 to 3 years.
Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); broadcast (group) spawning; oviparous
There is no parental care. The river carpsucker broadcasts its eggs on the sand and leaves them.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning)
The river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio) is a freshwater fish found in the inland United States and northern Mexico. This species has a slightly arched back and is somewhat stout and compressed. While the fins are usually opaque, in older fish they may be dark yellow. It is distributed along the Mississippi River basin from Pennsylvania to Montana. The river carpsucker, like most suckers, is a bottom feeder and obtains its nutrients from algae, microcrustaceans, and other various tiny planktonic plants and animals found in silty substrates. Like its congener, the quillback, the river carpsucker is long-lived, with a lifespan of more than 45 years.[2] It begins to reproduce typically in late spring, and the female usually releases more than 100,000 eggs. After releasing and fertilizing their eggs, all parental care is ended.
The physical appearance of the river carpsucker is fairly distinctive. It is stout, with a somewhat compressed and arched back. The area around its dorsal fin is olive-brown before it fades to silver, with a white belly. In the young, the fins are usually opaque, while in the old, their fins are a dark yellow.[3] The lower lip is projected in a similar fashion to a nipple at the midpoint, and big scales cover its whole body. It also has a distinctive 18 caudal fin rays.[4] The species is frequently confused with non-native species, such as the various Asian carp species.
The river carpsucker has historically occupied the Mississippi River basin from Pennsylvania to Montana. It also currently occupies the Gulf Slope Drainage from the Calcasieu River to the Rio Grande in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. It was introduced to Lake Erie and the lower Maumee River, Ohio. It was supposedly deliberately introduced with a shipment of buffalo fish as a game species, and they are currently used in sport fishing.[5] The effects of its introduction have not been studied, so are not well known. However, failure to find more river carpsuckers in the lower Maumee River suggests this species never took hold in this area.[5] In the spring, they migrate upstream as the water temperatures begin to rise, and then move back downstream after spawning. They have been known to travel distances of up to 10 kilometers (6.2 mi).[6]
The river carpsucker is classified as a suction, or filter feeder, which means it typically eats algae and small planktonic animals and plants.[7] They get their nutrients from filtering silt and detritus. As a bottom-feeder, it does not have very much competition, so its main worry is predation. It is typically preyed on by larger carnivorous fish such as northern pike, muskellunge, walleye, and largemouth bass, but only in its juvenile stage. Their largest predators are humans, although some larger birds, such as great blue herons, have been known to eat them. They can be found in large rivers and reservoirs, with sand or silt bottoms in slower-moving currents.[8] The young typically are found in small streams, or tributaries. They are more abundant in areas with slower water velocity and moderate temperatures.
During breeding season, small tubercles can be observed on the body of the male. Reproduction typically occurs during late spring, in large spawning groups.[9] The female can spawn more than once per year, and usually releases more than 100,000 eggs. The eggs are typically adhesive and demersal with a diameter of about 1.7 to 2.1 millimeters (0.067 to 0.083 in), and they typically hatch within eight to 15 days. To spawn, the temperature of the water must be 18.3 to 19.1 °C (64.9 to 66.4 °F), and spawning ends around the beginning of summer when water temperatures begin to rise. They exhibit no parental care; instead, they broadcast their eggs onto the sand and then leave them. The lifespan of river carpsucker can span decades, much like other long-lived catostomids;[10][11][12][13][14] longevity more than 45 years has been documented.[2] They are schooling fish and will often be found in large groups.
The river carpsucker currently has no established management plans, but is frequently caught by commercial fisherman for food, though they are not officially considered a game species.[15] However, they are in large abundance in a few areas in their range. They are very plentiful in Elephant Butte Reservoir and Caballo Lake in New Mexico.[3] They also can be affected by humans; their population begins reducing rapidly with the introduction of toxins into their habitat. The world record for the species stands at 13lb 4 oz caught in Cass County Nebraska in 1999.[16]
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) The river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio) is a freshwater fish found in the inland United States and northern Mexico. This species has a slightly arched back and is somewhat stout and compressed. While the fins are usually opaque, in older fish they may be dark yellow. It is distributed along the Mississippi River basin from Pennsylvania to Montana. The river carpsucker, like most suckers, is a bottom feeder and obtains its nutrients from algae, microcrustaceans, and other various tiny planktonic plants and animals found in silty substrates. Like its congener, the quillback, the river carpsucker is long-lived, with a lifespan of more than 45 years. It begins to reproduce typically in late spring, and the female usually releases more than 100,000 eggs. After releasing and fertilizing their eggs, all parental care is ended.
