The

By: Vivian Liu

What is That?!
From the dictionary an Invasive Species is an organism that is introduced into a new environment, where isn't native.

The Alien
Asian Carp, or
Cirrhinus Cirrhosus,
this is the alien invasive species what Im studying on.

Asian Carp
An ugly silver bighead fish. Small body skills It can weight up to 100 pounds. (about 45kgs) The length could be 4 feet tall. (1.22m) It jumps out the water often. They have large appetites.

Habitats
These carps prefer large, slow moving rivers and lakes. The maximum temperature they can survive is 38 C (USGS 2005). The lowest temperature they can accept is, down to nearly freezing, on the order of 1C. (ISSG 2005).

How & Why They Came?

Asian carps were imported from the southeast Asia by catfish farmers in the 1970s, the reason is to remove algae and suspended matters out of there ponds. During a large flood in the early 1990s, many farm ponds were overflowed, and the Asian carps were released into local water ways in the Mississippi River. (Kansas Department of Wild Life and Parks)

Breeding Facts
An adult female carp can lay about 200,000~400,000 eggs, once a year!

The Food Web

 Asian carps can eat 40% of their weight of food a day, they directly compete with other fish for food resources. Other organisms will be forced to move to other places to survive. They often jump up to the water surface, it will endanger the safety of the ships and boats.

The Effects

STOP Them!
Learn to identify the fish. Dont take or use bait from waters containing these fish. Report sightings to the DNR Invasive Species Program

Did You Know?

Asian carps are actually eatable, so if the Americans can be eating them, then fishers will need to capture more carps, this can let the population slowly decline. It is a good way to help the environment.

 At the beginning, the Asian carp was just a cleaner, but a flood caused those carps released to waterways and affect the ecosystem. Next time, when people are thinking ways to help themselves, be careful of the consequences, and the defenses.

Conclusion