Hypophthalmichthys

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 427-428

Hypophthalmichthys

Two of the three species of this genus have been introduced to Europe, from where they were subsequently spread to West Asia. Both have been hybridised in aquaculture, and fish found in West Asia and Europe do not represent pure species. As far as is currently known, they did not establish self-sustaining populations except (perhaps) in the Danube, Maritza (Europe), and Terek (western Caspian basin), where data at least allow us to suspect that H. molitix might have established. Hypophthalmichthys have also been introduced to Central Asia, particularly in the Aral basin. They were introduced from the Amur (Siberia) to European Russia and from the Yangtze ( China) to Romania. From these two areas, fish were transported to various locations throughout North Africa, West Asia, and Europe for aquaculture purposes. It is estimated that most major

rivers were stocked, particularly in reservoirs. Many fisheries biologists have postulated that these fish can transform algal blooms from pollution into edible fish protein. The first importation of these fish to Romania is a prime example of how careless fish introductions have often been handled. In 1961, unidentified fish larvae were caught in the Yangtze near the city of Wuhan and released in an aquaculture station near Bucharest. Upon draining the ponds in the autumn, 22 Chinese fish species were recorded, including Hypophthalmichthys and Pseudorasbora . While the other introduced species could be successfully eliminated, Pseudorasbora escaped from the ponds and is still expanding its range. Hypophthalmichthys and other introduced Chinese carps also hosted several parasites that conquered West Asia and Europe. The most spectacular of these is the glochidium of large freshwater mussel Sinanodonta woodiana .

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix ; Volga delta, Russia; ~ 500 mm SL.