Bighead carp: Aristichthys nobilis

Bighead carp [Aristichthys nobilis] is the natural inhabitant of different types of fresh water bodies of south-east Asia especially China. It was introduced in our country from Nepal in 1981.

Same as Silver carp, this fish dominantly utilize the surface layer of the pond for food. Bighead carps have a faster growth rate than silver carp or the catla and it competes with catla for food (Rahman, 2005).

It is efficient filter feeder, but it filters larger organism, mostly zooplankton such as Rotifers, Copepodes and Cladocerans and larger algae such as Microcystis colonies (Ameen, 1987).

The maximum recorded total length 112 cm and weight 21.3 kg (Fishbase, 2009).

References:

• Ameen M, 1987. Fisheries Resources and Opportunities in Freshwater Fish Culture in Bangladesh. PAT. NRD-II/DANIDA, Noakhali, Bangladesh. 244pp
• Fishbase, 2009. Species summary of Aristichthys nobilis. Downloaded from  http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=275&genusname=Hypophthalmichthys&speciesname=nobilis  on dated 04 August 2009.
• Rahman AKA, 2005. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh (2^nd ed.). Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. xviii+394 pp.

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