Synonyms:
Leuciscus molitrix Valencienns, 1844
Leuciscus hypophthalmus, Richardson, 1954
Hypophthalmichthyes molitrix Howes, 1981
H. molitrix, Natarajan, 1984
Common name: Silver carp
Local name: Silver carp, Silver cup
Taxonomy position:
Phylum- Chordata
Class-Oesteichthyes
Order- Cypriniformes
Family- Cyprinidae
Genus- Hypophthalmichthys
Fin formula:
D. iii 7; A. ii-iii 12-14 P i 17; V i 7 (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991)
D 3/7; P1 1/17; P2 1/7; A 2-3/12-14 (Rahman and Ruma, 2007)
Description of the species:
Body is stout and compressed, with a sharp keel from throat to vent. Head rather small, post operculum with radiated stries; snout blunt, obtusely rounded anteriorly. Mouth is terminal, lower jaw slightly longer than upper. Dorsal fin is short, inserrated slightly behind pelvic fins, scales small. Colour silvery–white with blood red spots on body especially on caudal peduncle. Fins are dark. Silver carp was first intrioduced from Honkong in the ponds of Riveriane Fisheries Research Station at Chand pur in 1969. (Rahman, 1989; Rahman, 2005; Rahman and Ruma, 2007).
Habit and Habitat:
According to Hara and Pillay (1962), silver carp is a pelagophil and planktophagous species when kept in ponds it thrives well on artificial feeds, such as bone meal, rice bran and flour.
Economic importance:
Silver carp is of considerable economic importance as source of protein, this carp is a primary consumerand breeds well in captivity, an additional asset in its culture.
Ecological role:
This species is a competitor for food and space to the indigenous Catla and Rohu (Rahman and Ruma, 2007). Sometimes this fish is performing as a water quality manager.
Status and Conservation:
This species is available in Bangladesh and not listed as threatened in IUCN Red book of threatened fish of Bangladesh by IUCN Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh, 2000).
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References:
Hara, S. L. and Pillay, T. V. R. 1962. Fish of the Eastern Doons, United provinces. Rec. Indian Mus., 38(2): 133-146.
Howes, 1981, Bull. Br. Mus. Nat. Hist (Zool.), 41(i):45.
IUCN Bangladesh. 2000. Red Book of Threatened Fishes of Bangladesh. IUCN- The World Conservation Union. xii+116 pp.
Natarajan, 1984, Bull. Cent.Inland Fish. Res. Inst (34):1-12
Rahman, A.K.A. 2005. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh (Second edition). The Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000. 394 pp.
Rahman, A.K.A. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh. The Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000. p 15.
Rahman, A.K.A. and Ruma, F. 2007. Hypophthalmichthys molitrix. In: Siddiqui, K.U., Islam, M.A., Kabir, S.M.H., Ahmed, M., Ahmed, A.T.A., Rahman, A.K.A., Haque, E.U., Ahmed, Z.U., Begum, Z.N.T., Hasan, M.A., Khondker, M., and Rahman, M.M. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol. 23. Freshwater Fishes. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka. p.62.
Richardson, 1954, Ichthyology 3: 99-150
Talwar, P. K. and Jhingran, A. G., 1991. Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent Countries. Volume 1. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, Calcutta. p 330.
Valencienns, 1844, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 17: 360
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