Carpiodes carpio

The common name of Carpiodes carpio is the river carpsucker. It is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee.^[1] This fish species has a slightly arched back and it is somewhat stout and compressed. While the fins are usually opaque, in older fish they may be dark yellow.^[2] Carpiodes carpio is distributed along the Mississippi river basin from Pennsylvania to Montana. As a sucker, Carpiodes carpio is a bottom feeder and obtains its nutrients from silt, with items such as algae, microcrustaceans, and other various tiny plantonic plants and animals. The Carpiodes carpio will typically live from about two to four years, however it is possible for a member of the species to survive for up to ten years. The River Carpsucker will begin to reproduce typically in late spring, and the female will usually release more than 100,000 eggs. Carpiodes carpio will reach sexual maturity when they are around two or three, and the temperature of the water must be between 18.3° to 19.1°C. After releasing and fertilizing their eggs, all parental care is ended.

Geographic Distribution of Species

The Carpiodes Carpio has historically occupied the Mississippi River basin from Pennsylvania to Montana. It also currently occupies the Gulf Slope Drainage from the Calcasieu River to the Rio Grande in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. Carpiodes Carpio was introduced to Lake Erie and the lower Maumee River, Ohio, but it is not native in these areas. It was supposedly deliberately introduced with a shipment of buffalo fish as a game species, and they are currently used in sport fishing.^[3] The effects of the introduction of Carpiodes Carpio have not been studied and are therefore not well known. However, failure to sample more River Carpsuckers in the lower Maumee River suggests that this species never took hold in this area.^[3] In the spring, they migrate upstream as the water temperatures begin to rise, and then they move back downstream after spawning. They have been known to travel distances of up to 10 km.^[4]

Ecology

The physical appearance of the Carpiodes Carpio is fairly distinctive. They are stout, with a back that is a little bit compressed and arched. The area around their dorsal fin is olive-brown before it fades to silver, with a white belly. In the young the fins are usually opaque, while in the old their fins are a dark yellow. Their lower lip is projected in a similar fashion to a nipple at the midpoint, and big scales cover their whole body. They also have a distinctive eighteen caudal fin rays.^[5] The Carpiodes Carpio is classified as a suction, or filter feeder, which means that it typically eats algae, or small planktonic animals and plants.^[6] They get their nutrients from filtering silt and detritus. As a bottom-feeder, Carpiodes Carpio does not have very much competition, so its main worry is predation. It is typically preyed on by bigger carnivorous fish such as Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Walleye, and Largemouth Bass, but only in its juvenile state. The largest predator that they have would be humans, although some larger birds like Great Blue Herons have been known to eat them. The Carpiodes Carpio can be found in large rivers and reservoirs, preferably with a sand or silt bottom paired with a slower-moving current.^[7] The young will typically be found in small streams, or tributaries. Carpiodes Carpio are more abundant in areas with slower water velocity and moderate temperatures.

Life History

The age at which Carpiodes Carpio reaches reproductive maturity varies by sex, with males being two to three, while females are three to four. During breeding season, small tubercles will be observed on the body of the male. Reproduction will typically occur during the later part of spring in large spawning groups.^[8] The female has the ability to spawn more than once per year, and will usually release more than 100,000 eggs. The eggs are typically adhesive and demersal with a diameter of about 1.7. to 2.1 mm, and they typically hatch within eight to fifteen days. In order to spawn, the temperature of the water must fall within the range of 18.3 to 19.1°C, and spawning will end around the beginning of summer when water temperatures begin to rise. Carpiodes Carpio have no parental care, instead they broadcast their eggs onto the sand and then leave them. Their lifespan is typically about two to four years old, however certain individuals have lived up until the age of ten. They are schooling fish and will often be found in large groups.

Current Management

Carpiodes Carpio currently have no established management plans, but they are frequently caught by commercial fisherman for culinary purposes, even though they are not officially considered a game species.^[9] However, there are a few areas in their geographic range where they are in large abundance. They are very plentiful in Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico, and also in Caballo Reservoir in Texas. They also can be affected by humans, their population begins reducing rapidly with the introduction of toxins into their habitat. The species is frequently confused with non-native species, such as the various Asian Carp Species, but it is in fact a sucker species native to a huge area of North America.

References

1. ↑ Tennessee Fish. Carpiodes Carpio. 2011.http://www.bio.utk.edu/hulseylab/Fishlist.html
2. ↑ BioKIDS. Carpiodes Carpio. 2011. http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Carpiodes_carpio/
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Carpiodes Carpio. 2011. http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=341
4. ↑ Texas Freshwater Fishes. Carpiodes Carpio. 2011. http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/carpiodes%20carpio.htm
5. ↑ Morris, JE., Quist, MC., and Spiegel, JR. 2010. Precision of Scales and Pectoral Fin Rays for Estimating Age of Highfin Carpsucker, Quillback Carpsucker, and River Carpsucker. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 25:271-278
6. ↑ Bart, H.L., Chen, H.M., Chen, Y.X., Huang, S.Q.2010. Joint Feature Selection and Classification for Taxonomic Problems Within Fish Species Complexes. Pattern Analysis and Applications. 13:23-34.
7. ↑ Beugly, J., Pyron, M. 2010. Temporal and Spatial Variation in the Long-Term Functional Organization of Fish Assemblages in a Large River. Hydrobiologia. 654: 215-226.
8. ↑ Chang, M.M., Liu, S.Y., Sun, Y.H., Treer, T., Wang, W.M., Xie, C.X. 2007. The Genetic Variation and Biogeography of Catostomid Fishes Based on Mitochondrial and Nucleic DNA Sequences. Journal of Fish Biology. 70:291-309.
9. ↑ Animal Diversity Web. Carpiodes Carpio. 2008. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Carpiodes_carpio.html