ODWC Confirms First Report of Invasive Black Carp in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) confirmed the first report of a Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) within a private pond in McCurtain County.

Black Carp are one of the four invasive carp species (i.e. Bighead Carp, Silver Carp, Grass Carp, Black Carp) native to Asia and found within the United States. They were imported into the United States in the 1970s and 1980s as a biological control agent for snail pests in aquaculture ponds.

By the 1990s, Black Carp had escaped captivity and were found in natural waters in the Mississippi River Basin where natural reproduction has been documented.