Comparison of early developmental stages and adults of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, and hybrid carp (female grass carp × male bighead Aristichthys nobilis)

Abstract

Hybrid carp and grass carp from the zygote to the prolarval stage and adults were compared to establish distinguishing characteristics. Zygote diameter, yolk sac and embryo length were not different between the fishes. Body pigmentation patterns showed distinct separation among the prolarvae of the hybrids and grass carp. Total and preanal myomeres were higher in grass carp larvae than in the hybrids. The grass carp and hybrid larvae also differed in 38% ofthe proportional morphometric characters.Average meristic counts of adults were significantly higher in hybrids compared with grass carp. Adults of the two fishes showed significant differences in 63% of the proportional morphometric measurements. Gill raker counts showed no overlap and lateral line scales were smaller and more numerous in the hybrid adults.

A Review of Grass Carp and Related Species Literature on Diet, Behavior, Toxicology, and Physiology Focused on Informing Development of Controls for Invasive Grass Carp Populations in North America

“…Research with this hybrid carp estimated that it would require more than double density of hybrids to obtain the same level of vegetation control as grass carp [827]. Morphological and developmental comparisons between this hybrid and grass carp have been published [73,828]. Research has documented that underyearling hybrid grass carp × bighead carp preferred coontail, Chara sp.…”

Description and ecology of larvae and juveniles of three native cypriniforms of coastal southern California

“…Larvae of the remaining 9 native species have been described: California roach (Lavinia symmetricus) by Fry (1936) and Wang (1986); hitch (Lavinia exilicauda), hardhead (Mylopharodon conocephalus), Sacramento blackfish (Orthodon microlepidotus), Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus), Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis), and Lahotan redside (Richardsonius egregius) by Wang (1986); and tui chub (Siphateles bicolor) by Remple and Markle (2005). Nonnative larvae have been described: goldfish (Carassius auratus), red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis), and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) by Snyder et al (2005), Wang (1986), and other authors; grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) by Kilambi and Zdinak (1981), Lin (1935), and Soin and Sukhanova (1972); golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) by Heufelder and Fuiman (1982), Snyder et al (1977), Wang (1986), others; fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) by Heufelder and Fuiman (1982), Remple and Markle (2005), Snyder (1981), Snyder et al (1977Snyder et al ( , 2005, and Wang (1986); tench (Tinca tinca) by Alikunhi and Runganathan (1947), Kennedy and Fitzmaurice (1970), and others. Remple and Markle (2005) described northern fathead minnow populations (Pimephales promelas promelas) with different characteristics from the southern fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas confertus) found in southern California (Miller 1952;Swift et al 1993;Simon and Markle 1997).…”