The effects of overwinter survival on juvenile Asian carps, Bighead Carp and Koi Carp
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Date
2017-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Bighead carp Hypophythalmichthys nobilis is a warm water species native to Asia, currently invasive to Mississippi River basin rivers. Concerns exist about how Asian carps may impact the multibillion-dollar annual U.S. sport fishery if they are able to invade the Great Lakes. However, a gap in scientific data exists regarding survival of age-0 Bighead Carp in winter water conditions similar to the Great Lakes. An experiment was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 which examined the survival, growth, proximate body composition, and biochemical adaptations of age-0 Bighead carp and Koi Carp Cyprinus carpio of different sizes subjected to simulated winter water temperatures. Age-0 fish from each of four categories, small Koi Carp (SK; n =15; W= 162 ± 30 mg, mean ± SD), large Koi Carp (LK; n =3; W= 486 ± 152 mg), small Bighead Carp (SBH; n =15; W= 216 ± 84 mg) and large Bighead Carp (LBH; n =15; W= 1893 ± 341 mg) were each randomly distributed to six tanks. Two treatments were applied, starved and fed, to simulate the lack or presence of winter food availability. Mortality and temperature data during the experiment were collected. The current study specifically examined lipids, fatty acid composition, crude protein, and homeoviscous adaptations of age-0 Koi and Bighead carp. Samples were collected initially before the start of the experiment, once an experimental group reached 50% lethal conditions to the stock (LC50), and at the end of the experiment (surviving experimental groups only). In three groups LC50 was reached during the experiment, starved LK (40 days), starved SK (43 days), and starved SBH (107 days). Results indicate that there is potential for age-0 Bighead Carp to survive short winter water temperatures (130 days) if sufficient lipid energy reserves are acquired before the onset of winter, but temperatures < 10ºC are not sufficient for growth.
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Keywords
Asian carp, Invasive species, Overwinter, Body composition