ABSTRACT
Several fish species have shown promise as weed control agents. One of these is the white amur, Ctenopharyngodon idella Valenciennes, also known as grass carp. This fish has been in the US for a decade, but it is an exotic species, indigenous to large rivers in China. One major reason that white amur are not widely used in this country is the fear that they may become established in their natural waters, as did the common carp, and compete for food organisms with native fish. White amur were tested in two types of stocking – alone in fertilized ponds with aquatic plants added and stocked with other fish species in a fertilized pond with little natural macrophyte vegetation. The effectiveness in aquatic weed control and their food habits compared with other fishes in the population were observed.
