bighead carp

noun

plural bighead carp also bighead carps

: a freshwater cyprinid fish (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) of eastern Asia that has a large head and mouth, is dark gray with an off-white belly, and that has been introduced into non-native waters where it is often considered an invasive (see invasive entry 1 sense 1a) species

The bighead carp, which can grow to 100 pounds, have caused environmental havoc in rivers and lakes in the South and Midwest because they devour huge volumes of food.

—Gene Schabath

Note: Bighead carp, along with the related black carp, grass carp, and silver carp, are often called Asian carp in the U.S.

Examples of bighead carp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Because of their large numbers and reproductive capacity, silver and bighead carp can eat faster than and starve native fish and mussels. —Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025

Silver carp, grass carp and bighead carp have been documented in the upper river system, including in western Wisconsin tributaries like the Black and Chippewa rivers. —Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Silver carp, grass carp and bighead carp have been documented in the upper river system for years, and a study earlier this year from the U.S. Geological Survey found that black carp are also naturally reproducing in the river basin. —Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2024

Invasive bighead carp can eat up to 40% of their own weight each day, and their presence would threaten native fish and Michigan's commercial fishing industry. —Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 2 July 2024

Silver carp, bighead carp and black carp are all banned from being moved while alive. —Keenan Thomas, The Tennessean, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bighead carp

• endocarp
• pericarp
• harp
• scarp
• tarp