Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: MD-DC-VA/Chesapeake Bay tributaries (1882, widespread shipments to applicants in Congressional districts, for pond-rearing; probably many fish just released (MacDonald 1884) 1st Watershed Record: Druid Hill Park, Baltimore/MD/Chesapeake Bay Watershed ()
Geographic Extent
Susquehanna River- Cyprinus carpio were shipped to congressional districts in the watershed in 1882 (MacDonald 1884).
Upper Bay and Drainages - In 1882, Harford, Baltimore, Anne Arundel Counties, received 120-370 C. carpio each (MacDonald 1884. At Battery Island, (mouth of Gunpowder River) MD in 1893, 'It was noted that carp were very abundant in the waters and several reports of large numbers were brought in. On May 31, there was a report of 2,700 lbs reported in a single haul of a seine' (Worth 1895). By 1912-1917, they were abundant from Susquehanna River to the Rhode River (Fowler 1912; Radcliffe and Welsh 1917; Fowler 1917).
Patuxent River - Cyprinus carpio were shipped to congressional districts in the watershed (Anne Arundel County) in 1882 (MacDonald 1884).
Eastern Shore Tributaries - In 1882; Caroline, Cecil, Kent; Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester Counties recieved 20-100 C. carpio each (MacDonald 1884). In recent Maryland Department of Natural Resources surveys, they were collected in the Elk River drainage (Boward et al. 1997d) but not in other Eastern Shore river systems. This fish was common in the low-salinity tributaries of the Blackwater River, Somerset County (Love et al. 2008).
Potomac River- Cyprinus carpio were transferred from the ponds in Baltimore and reared in ponds near the Washington Monument in 1879. By 1898 C. carpio were abundant in the river near Washington DC (Smith and Bean 1898). They are abundant in the mainstem of the river from Chain Bridge to the Wicomico River, and downstream in tributaries to Breton Bay (Lippson et al. 1979; Starnes et al. 2011; Kraus and Jones 2012.
Rappahannock River - Cyprinus carpio were shipped to congressional districts in the watershed in 1882 (MacDonald 1884). They were apparently not abundant in seine hauls in the tidal Rappahannock (Massmann et al. 1952).
York River- Cyprinus carpio were shipped to congressional districts in the watershed in 1882 (MacDonald 1884). They were 'occasionally taken' in haul seines in the tidal Pamunkey (Raney and Massmann 1953).
James River- Cyprinus carpio were shipped to congressional districts in the watershed in 1882 (MacDonald 1884). They were apparently not common by 1950 in the upper (nontidal) river (Raney 1950), but were 'fished commercially in both the Chickahominy and James rivers' (Raney and Massman 1953).
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Alternate | Fisheries Intentional |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Herbivory | |
| Herbivory- Common Carp eat and uproot introduced plant species such as Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrilla), Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian Watermilfoil), Egeria densa (Brazilian Waterweed), Potamogeton crispus (Curly Pondweed), and Najas minor (Eurasian Water-Nymph). Carp appeared to be controlling plant biomass (Cole 1905; Stevenson and Confer 1978; Taylor et al. 1984). Removal and enclosure experiments indicate that carp adversely affect vegetation, though the relative importance of herbivory, uprooting, and bioturbation are not known (Taylor et al. 1984). In the Camargue, France, carp did not feed on living vegetation but did consume a high percentage of seeds (Crivelli 1988) In Chesapeake Bay, 'almost 5,000 ha of aquatics were eliminated by carp in the late 1950's on the Susquehanna Flats' (Stevenson and Confer 1978). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Bioturbation | |
| Bioturbation- Common Carp are well-known for roiling the water and increasing turbidity (Cole 1905). So much of the turbidity in Chesapeake Bay is derived from terrigenous silt and detritus, and phytoplankton blooms that the role of C. carpio in turbidity is likely to be very local. However, in shallow inlets of the Chesapeake turbidity due to carp feeding can reduce Secchi disk depths to 7.5 cm (Stevenson and Confer 1978). | ||
| Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
| Fisheries - 'In the markets of Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere, it is considered an inferior food fish', but supported a small local fishery (Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928) and still does, appearing in local markets (Hines, personal observation). Cyprinus carpio is not highly regarded as a sport fish (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). | ||