Their 58,000-litre tank is specially designed and equipped with an eDNA filtration system, so they are not posing any risk to Toronto’s waterways. ... silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp and black carp… Arkansas fish farmers originally imported these carp from Asia in the 1970s to control plankton in ponds. Where did Asian carp come from? Carp are also thought to lower water quality, which can kill off sensitive organisms like native freshwater mussels. However, these carp escaped captivity during floods and began appearing in major river drainages of the midwest and southern United States in the early 1980s. The huge, hard-headed silver carp also pose a threat to boaters, as the fish can leap out of the water when startled by boat engines, often colliding with people and causing injuries. It was introduced to the United States in 1973 by a private fish farmer in Arkansas to control algae blooms in his ponds. "This is the largest congregation of invasive carp we've seen this far upstream." Asian carp were originally imported to the southern United States in the 1970s to help aquaculture and wastewater treatment facilities keep retention ponds clean. Originally the silver carp originated in China, being one out four of the most cultured fish in China due to its quick growing rates as well as the hardiness to withstand harsh conditions. We will be discussing what they found when we come to the shindig, but the basic summary is that there are a lot of silver carp in the 600-700 mm (~24") size range. Why are they a problem? Did our carp originally come from the east like other well-established imports, martial arts, manga and Mazda? Asian carp have been known to dominate entire streams (video, 45 sec), effectively pushing out the native species. Invasive carp captures must be reported to the DNR immediately They were first introduced in the 1970’s by fish farms that were cleaning their commercial ponds. This behavior, by such large fish, can injure boaters, skiers, and damage boats and onboard equipment. Originally the silver carp originated in China, being one out four of the most cultured fish in China due to its quick growing rates as well as the hardiness to withstand harsh conditions. Bighead carp can reach 110 pounds, although 30 to 40 pounds is considered average (silver carp are generally smaller). But the exact source of the carp’s common name is still a little veiled. Yellow was the imperial color. Silver ones have a tendency to leap from the water when startled by the sound of passing boats. You may have heard about the recent Asian carp sampling conducted in cooperation with usfw on the lakes last week. Silver carp are known to jump out of the water to escape threats. Flooding throughout the 1990s allowed these fish to escape into the Mississippi and migrate into the Missouri and Illinois rivers. Flooding ponds allowed the fish to escape to waterways where they thrived. Bighead carp can live over 20 years, maturing at about 7 years. The exhibit houses 3 of the 4 species of Asian Carp: Bighead Carp, Grass Carp and Black Carp. Asian carp consist of silver, bighead, grass and black carp species.