Black carp: Mylopharyngodon piceus

Black carp [Mylopharyngodon piceus] inhabits Amur river basin of Eastern Siberia to southern China. In 1983, this carp was introduced to Bangladesh from China for controlling snail and aquaculture purpose (Rahman, 2005).

It is mainly bottom feeder and feeds on snails and aquatic insects and crustaceans in adults and zooplankton, larvae and egg of arthropods in juveniles. Black carp does not spawn in standing water like ponds.

The artificial breeding technique is similar to that of silver carp. This species is highly commercial in aquaculture as well as fisheries.

Reference:

• Rahman AKA, 2005. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh (2^nd ed.). Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. xviii+394 pp.

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