ABSTRACT
During the last 2 decades, research to discover means of controlling obnoxious aquatic plant growth has included evaluation of various herbivorous fish species. The white amur or grass carp has shown sufficient efficacy promising for aquatic weed control in habitats occupied by established game fish populations. The Israeli carp was effective only in controlling filamentous algae and is useless for control of rooted aquatic plants. On the other hand, the white amur fish has shown great promise in controlling submersed and emersed plant types. The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the efficiency of the white amur fish (Ctenopharyngodon idella) as a biological control agent for aquatic weed populations in natural habitats, and to evaluate the effects of space and plant nutrients resulting from weed destruction in the aquatic ecosystem. This research information establishes knowledgeable control and operational procedures for use of white amur fish in aquatic plant control.
