bighead carp

noun

Definition of bighead carp

: a freshwater, cyprinid fish (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) that has a large head and mouth, a ventral keel between the anal and pelvic fins, and a blotchy, dark-gray color and that is native to eastern Asia and has been widely introduced into nonnative waters where it is often considered a pest 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, Detroit News, 22 Dec. 2003 Silver and bighead carp are filter feeders that compete for diminishing plankton stocks with native fishes and mollusks. —Kathy Etling, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10 May 2008

Note: Bighead carp is considered an invasive species in the U.S. where it has had a detrimental environmental impact due to its voracious appetite, especially for zooplankton, and rapid reproduction.