Bighead carp
| Bighead carp | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Suborder: | Cyprinoidei |
| Family: | Xenocyprididae |
| Genus: | Hypophthalmichthys Oshima, 1919 |
| Species: | H. nobilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (J. Richardson, 1845) | |
| Synonyms | |
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The bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) is a species of cyprinid freshwater fish native to East Asia, and is one of several Asian carps introduced into North America. It is one of the most intensively exploited fishes in fish farming, with an annual worldwide production of over three million tonnes in 2013, principally from China. They are omnivores, consuming both algae and zooplankton.
Bighead carp, together with black carp, silver carp, and grass carp, make up the culturally important "four famous domestic fishes" used in polyculture in China for over a thousand years. It is widely farmed for food and chinese medicine.