A trio of Asian carp caught in Chicago, Illinois’ Humboldt Park Lagoon have joined the invasive species display at the city’s world-famous John G. Shedd Aquarium, according to a recent report by WBEZ 91.5 Chicago that was published on the station’s website, wbez.org.
Nobody’s really sure how these carp found their way into the enclosed lagoon, although experts speculate fishermen and boats could have unintentionally introduced the big-eyed invasives with just the tiniest amount of organic matter from another waterway, WBEZ reports.
The fish are more than 10 years old, according to the article, which indicates they’ve been hanging around the lagoon for quite some time.
Carp are now a dominant species in several parts of the Illinois River, which is connected to the Chicago River via the Sanitary and Ship Canal.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DRN) hires commercial fisherman to catch Asian carp in the Illinois River, the report explains, removing hundreds of tons of the pesky fish a week. But even with two electric barriers in place and a third being built, carp still squeak in, WBEZ reports.
DNR spokesman John Rogner told WBEZ in order to help prevent the spread of Asian carp and other invasives throughout Illinois waterways, fisherman and boaters should never dump water or fish from one body of water into another.
According to the WBEZ report, the Illinois DNR gave the carp to Shedd to help raise awareness about the risks posed by invasive species.
Photo by Brenna Hernandez/Courtesy of John G. Shedd Aquarium
