Development of an Asian Carp Size Structure Index and Application through Demonstration

Asian carp (Cyprinidae) are among the most invasive fishes in North America, but assessment tools for evaluating stock structure have not been established. Thus, we used data from national and international published reports or manuscripts to develop standard length categories for four species of Asian carp. Due to the similarities in maximum reported size for Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, we propose the following standardized length categories for those two species: stock = 30 cm, quality = 54 cm, preferred = 68 cm, memorable = 89 cm, and trophy = 111 cm. Proposed Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus length categories are stock = 40 cm, quality = 72 cm, preferred = 90 cm, memorable = 118 cm, and trophy = 148 cm. Finally, we propose the following length categories for Silver Carp H. molitrix: stock = 25 cm, quality = 45 cm, preferred = 56 cm, memorable = 74 cm, and trophy = 93 cm. We then used existing data collected in the Illinois River and Mississ...