9622

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9622
• Author: Schofield, P. J. and e. al.
• Title: Foreign Nonindigenous Carps and Minnows ‎(Cyprinidae)‎ in the United States - A Guide to their Identification, Distribution, and Biology.
• USFW Year: 2005.
• USFW - Doc Type: 2005-5041,
• Copyright Material: NO

31

Grass Carp
Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes 1844)

Figure 19. Grass Carp, SIUC 23044, 289 millimeter SL, from Alexander County, Illinois.

Description

The Grass Carp (fig. 19) is a large species, often
reaching over I m TL. Maximum size is about 1.5 m TL
and 45 kg or more (Robison and Buchanan, 1988; Etnier
and Starnes, 1993; Laird and Page, 1996). The species
has an oblong body, wide head, and rounded belly.
The dorsal fin has i-iii (7-8) rays. The anal fin is set far
to the rear on the body and has ii-iii (8-10) rays. The
origin of the dorsal fin is anterior to the pelvic-fin base.
Both dorsal and anal fins are rounded. The caudal fin is
deeply forked. All fins are soft-rayed. The lateral line is
complete, with 34-45 scales, and is slightly decurved.
The mouth is terminal, somewhat oblique, and lacks
barbels. The eyes are at the approximate level of the
axis of the body or slightly higher. The gill rakers are
short, un fused, widely set, and number 12-16 on the first
arch. The pharyngeal teeth have deep groves, are in two
rows, and may count 2,5-4,2; 2,4-4,2; or 2,4-5,2 (fig. 20;
Shireman and Smith, 1983). Scales along the dorsum
and sides are usually dark-edged, giving a cross-hatched
effect. Juvenile Grass Carp are silvery (fig. 21). Adults
are often dark gray along the dorsal surface and brassy

Figure 20. Pharyngeal teeth (2,4-5,2) of Grass Carp,
Slue 23044, 289 millimeter SL, from Alexander
County, Illinois. (Also see to fig. 9, p. 13.)

along the sides of the body (fig. 22). In some situations,
the species may appear much darker and olivaceous
on the dorsal surface (fig. 23). The fins are typically
green-gray to dull silver. Grass Carp meristics are given
in appendix B.