Hypophthalmichthys

Hypophthalmichthys
Bighead carp
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Cyprinidae
Subfamily:	Xenocyprinae
Genus:	Hypophthalmichthys Bleeker, 1860
Type species
Leuciscus molitrix Valenciennes, 1844
Species
see text
Synonyms
Abramocephalus Steindachner, 1869 Aristichthys Ōshima, 1919 Cephalus Basilewsky, 1855 Onychodon Dybowski, 1872

Hypophthalmichthys is a genus of large cyprinid fish consisting of three species. The name comes from Greek ὑπό (hypó 'below'), ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós 'eye'), and ἰχθῦς (ichthŷs 'fish'), thus 'fish with eyes below', referring to the fact that the fish has its eyes below the mouth line. Members of this genus are native to fresh water in East Asia, ranging from Siberia to Vietnam, but have been widely introduced outside their native range, where often considered invasive. Big head (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carps (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) have been reaching the Illinois River system outside of Lake Michigan but have grown concerns of them likely being established in the Great Lakes. The reason is that stakeholders, such as fisheries, recreationists, and the fishing industry can be impacted economically and potentially decrease biodiversity or even extinction of these or other species. Environmental DNA has been used to monitor these species and look for positive eDNA detections and the presence of live organisms. The genus is also known as Bighead carp, though that term is also used for individual species, particularly Hypophthalmichthys nobilis. The Russian language has a special word for the genus - tolstolób(ik) (literally thickforehead).

Species

The three currently recognized species in the genus are:

• H. harmandi Sauvage, 1884 (largescale silver carp)
• H. molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) (silver carp)
• H. nobilis (J. Richardson, 1845) (bighead carp)