What is the difference between silver carp and bighead carp? A quick guide to telling them apart

Silver carp, also known as white carp, silver carp and so on, is a large fish, with the largest individual reaching 25 kg. Bighead carp, also known as spotted silver carp and fathead carp, can reach up to 50 kg. Silver carp and bighead carp look similar, and many people cannot accurately tell them apart. Let's take a look at exactly what their differences are!

Bighead carp

Bighead carp, also called spotted silver carp, fathead carp, baohead carp, bighead fish, black carp, mottled carp and so on, is a kind of freshwater fish. It has the elegant nickname of "scavenger of the water" and is one of the four major Chinese carps. Its appearance resembles the silver carp, with a laterally compressed body, a relatively large and wide head, a very wide mouth that turns slightly upward, and relatively low-set eyes. Bighead carp live in freshwater lakes, rivers, reservoirs and ponds, mostly distributed in the middle and upper layers of the water. It is a fish unique to China and is widely distributed across China.

Silver carp

Silver carp, also called white carp, water carp, jumping carp, silver carp and so on, belongs to the order Cypriniformes and is one of the famous four major Chinese carps. Its body is laterally compressed and slightly deep, spindle-shaped, with a bluish-gray back and white sides and belly. The head is relatively large, the eyes are set very low, and the scales are small. A keratinous ridge runs along the midline of the belly from below the pectoral fins straight to the anus. The pectoral fins do not extend beyond the base of the pelvic fins, and all the fins are grayish-white. Its form resembles that of the bighead carp. Silver carp are impatient by nature and good at jumping.

The difference between silver carp and bighead carp

1. The bighead carp has a large head, equal to about 1/3 of its body length, and its upper jaw protrudes slightly forward. The silver carp has a small head, equal to about 1/5 of its body length, and its lower jaw protrudes slightly forward.

2. The back of the bighead carp is dark brown with fine black spots, the belly is grayish-white, and all the fins are pale gray. The back of the silver carp is gray, the belly is silvery-white, and all the fins are grayish-white.

3. The bighead carp has larger pectoral fins that extend well beyond the base of the pelvic fins. The silver carp has smaller pectoral fins, with the tips of the pectoral fins only reaching the base of the pelvic fins.

4. The ventral ridge of the bighead carp runs from the pelvic fins to the anus, so the ridge is shorter. The ventral ridge of the silver carp runs from the chest to the anus, so the ridge is longer.

5. The bighead carp tastes better than the silver carp and has higher nutritional value.