Many students join the rowing team to build discipline, core strength, and enjoy the thrill of racing. But this Mississippi rowing team had a very different thrill when they were returning from practice and hundreds of Asian carp jumped out of the water all around them.
Technically “Asian carp” is a catch-all name that can refer to several species of carp, but the fish in this video are probably silver carp, as Bighead carp do not normally jump when frightened. Agitated by the presence of a boat, they will leap into the air on random trajectories, and can do some damage if they are large and fast enough when they collide with a human. The sharp fins can cause deep cuts, and depending on the size of the fish, the impact can even cause a concussion!
Asian carp are an invasive species of fish that have established firm populations in the Mississippi basin and are being monitored as a serious concern in the great lakes of Ontario. At this time the population is small, but there have been several reports of anglers catching the carp.
