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Ctenopharyngodon idella

Basic information
Scientific name Ctenopharyngodon idella

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ソウギョ
Major synonym C. idellus
Common names Grass carp
Higher taxon Cyprinidae, Cypriniformes, Actinopterygii
Natural range Continental China, Amur River.
Habitat Coastal side of rivers with slow stream, lakes and ponds.
Invasion information
Range in Japan Established in Tonegawa and Edogawa River System, Kasumigaura and Kitaura Lake. Despite no establishment in other region, routinely released to rivers, lakes, ponds in wide area of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu Islands. Range in Japan
Origin Continental China
Date 1878-1955. Introduction to Tonegawa River and Kasumigaura Lake were 1943 and 1945, and establishment was since 1948. Routinely released in wide area of Japan.
Route Deliberate: For control of weed, as food, and for sports fishing
Impact Destruction of aquatic flora.
Native organism(s) affected: Aquatic plant community and cyprinid fish species ovipositing on aquatic plants.
Regulation in Japan Introduction of this species is prohibited in Shiga and Saga Pref. Capture of this species is regulated by several local governments.
Introduced range in other countries SE Asia (Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia,etc.), S Asia (India, Buhtan,etc.), C Asia (Kazakhstan,etc.), W Asia (Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey,etc.), Europe (Finland, Germany, Czech, Italy, Belarus, Russia,etc.), Africa (Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia,etc.), USA, Mexico, C America (Costa Rica, Puerto Rico,etc.), Argentina, New Zealand, etc.
Reference Notes
  • DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Ecol Soc Jpn (ed) (2002) Handbook of Alien Species in Japan. Chijinshokan, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Froese & Pauly (eds) (2009) FishBase (Accessed on 2010-12-09) http://www.fishbase.org/.
  • JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Kawanabe et al. (eds) (2002) Freshwater Fishes of Japan, 3rd ed.. Yama-kei Publishers, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Matsuzawa & Senou (2008) Alien fishes of Japan. Bun-ichi Sogo Shuppan, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Yanai et al. (2008) The introduction process in alien fishes found from Lake Kasumigaura and Kitaura. Bull Ibaraki Pref Freshwater Fishery Exper St. 41, 47-54 (in Jpn)
  • etc.
  • Kitano (2007) Seasonal movements of the largemouth bass, the smallmouth bass and the bluegill for breeding in Lake Nojiri, central Japan. Bull. Nagano Environ. Conserv. Res. Inst.. 3, 87-91 (in Jpn)
 100 of the Japan’s Worst Invasive Alien Species