Nonnative: Snail or Black Carp

Snail or Black Carp - Mylopharyngodon piceus

Description: Adults possess powerful crushing teeth that permit the fish to crush the shells of large mollusks. A 4-year-old black carp can consume an average of 3 to 4 pounds of mussels per day. Females spawn annually, depositing 129,000 to 1.18 million eggs a year, depending on body size. Black carp are one of four species of Asian carp; the other three – silver carp, bighead carp, and grass carp – have received media attention of late because of their presence in the Mississippi River system and the threat they pose to the Great Lakes Basin. Black carp are different from the other three in two important ways: 1) Black carp have not been found in the wild, and 2) they eat only mussels and snails.

Species: Mylopharyngodon piceus

Range: From the Amur River in China

Habitat: Primarily riverine

Spawning Habitats: Egg layer, similar to striped bass

Feeding Habits: A bottom feeder that primarily consumes mollusks.

Age and Growth: To more than 4 feet and well over 70 pounds.

Potential Concerns: Mylopharyngodon piceus is restricted due to its ability to spawn in the US and  the impact a reproducing population could have on endangered mussels and the endemic aquatic food chain.

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