Introduced in the 1970s to control snails and other mollusks in lakes and ponds. Has escaped into river basins which is likely to exacerbate the existing serious decline in North American mussels and snails. Rarely found but thought to be reproducing and increasing in the lower Mississippi River basin. Occurs in floodplain lakes, backwaters, and channels of large rivers (Ref. 86798). A triploid carp (likely sterile) was caught in Horseshoe Lake, Alexander County, Illinois 26 March 2003. Capture of the specimen is evidence that the species is escaping or being released from aquaculture and/or research facilities. With the introduction history of Asian carp, it appears inevitable that black carp will become established in the Mississippi river and elsewhere unless stricter regulations on the use and transportation of this species are developed and enforced (Ref. 47937). Under experimentation for aquaculture in the USA (Ref. 4537).