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Fish

Silver Carp

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Silver Carp

Overview

The silver carp (*Hypophthalmichthys molitrix*), one of the species known by the generic name "bighead carp", is a pelagic fish native to East Asia. It is renowned for its unusual behaviour of jumping out of the water at the sound of engine noises, sometimes becoming dangerous for boaters. It was introduced to Europe to improve fish production, occupying the ecological niche of microscopic plankton consumers.

Physical Characteristics

It has an unmistakable appearance: the eyes are situated very low, below the median line of the head, giving it a "sad" profile. The body is massive, covered with extremely small silvery scales. A distinctive feature compared to the bighead carp is the presence of a sharp keel (bony crest) on the belly, extending from the throat to the anal opening. The name "sânger" (silver carp) comes from the reddish spots that often appear on the body after capture, due to the fragility of the capillaries.

Habitat & Distribution

It occupies the open waters of large lakes and the Danube branches. It prefers illuminated areas with warm waters where phytoplankton develops massively. In the Danube Delta, it penetrates everywhere there is a large volume of water, being a constant presence in the deep areas of the river.

Behavior and Feeding

It is an active biological filter. Its large mouth has no teeth, but the branchial apparatus is transformed into a dense network of filaments that can retain microscopic-sized phytoplankton particles. The silver carp often swims in the upper layers of the water, filtering continuously. It is a very skittish fish that reacts violently to sound stimuli.

Life Cycle & Reproduction

Like the bighead carp, it reproduces naturally in the Danube only under optimal temperature and flow conditions. It lays pelagic eggs that need a certain water velocity to remain in suspension. Growth is extremely rapid in the first years of life, feeding on a resource (green algae) that few other fish species can exploit as efficiently.

Conservation Status

Classified as Least Concern (LC) globally. In Romania, it is a culture and commercial fishing species. Although useful for cleaning waters of algal blooms, too many silver carp can compete for food with the fry of indigenous species (such as carp or bream) which also consume zooplankton in the early stages of life.