Prussian carp is a silvery Eurasian relative of the goldfish whose females, in many invasive populations, reproduce without males of their own kind, using sperm from other fish species just to trigger their eggs. It has spread into southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, but no wild populations are known in the US, where federal law bars importing it or moving it between states without a permit. It is also called gibel carp.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A deep-bodied, sturdy fish, usually silvery but sometimes golden or reddish. It commonly reaches about 8 in (20 cm), with records near 18 in (46 cm) and 10.6 lb (4.8 kg).
Look-alikes
There is no agreed set of visible features that separates the two species, so photos usually can't settle it; DNA testing can.
Why they get mixed upThe two look so alike that Prussian carp in Alberta likely went unnoticed for years before DNA tests confirmed them.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- lakes
- ponds
- slow rivers
- irrigation canals
- Range
- Native range is usually given as central Europe to Siberia, though its original range is unclear. It is now found across most of Europe, southwest and central Asia, Algeria, and Canada, where it lives in the Bow, Red Deer, and South Saskatchewan River basins.
- Preferred conditions
- Prefers shallow, nutrient-rich water with dense plants, and it tolerates low oxygen and pollution.
Behavior
- Diet
- Plankton, bottom-dwelling invertebrates, plants, and decaying matter; its diet shifts with season and habitat.
Life cycle
- Breeding season
- In Europe it spawns from late spring into summer once water tops about 57°F (14°C), laying eggs on submerged plants in warm shallows.
- Reproduction
- Invasive populations are mostly females. They spawn alongside males of other species such as common carp, whose sperm starts the eggs developing but adds no genes, so the young are clones of the mother. Some populations also include males. Females may spawn several times a year.
- Incubation
- About 3 days at 68°F (20°C).
- Lifespan
- Up to 10 years recorded.
Name and classification
- About the name
- It has often been treated as a subspecies of goldfish, Carassius auratus gibelio. Look-alike species, hybrids, and all-female lineages make this genus hard to sort out.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
- Status
- Listed as injurious wildlife under the federal Lacey Act in 2016, which bars importing it or moving it between states without a permit. A 2025 federal risk screening rated its risk to the US as high, since much of the country has a suitable climate.
- Threats
- In Alberta streams, native fish such as brook stickleback and fathead minnow declined as Prussian carp moved in.
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