Effect of Temperature on Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) Age at Sexual Maturity

Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) is one of the four invasive Asian Carp species (Bighead Carp, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis; Grass Carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella; and Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in North America. As benthic predators, Black Carp poses ecological risks to unionids within the Great Lakes and could bring other changes to local benthic communities. One means of assessing invasion risk and potential impact is to determine how critical life history characteristics depend on environmental conditions in new regions. Age at sexual maturity is negatively correlated to the maximum per capita population growth rate and thus can be used to estimate potential population growth for invasive species. Previous studies have found a significant negative relationship between age at maturity and temperature for all three other Asian Carp species, but not for Black Carp. With a more comprehensive dataset, we demonstrate that the same relationship exists for Black Carp. Winter duration is the best predictor of Black Carp age at maturity, followed by average winter air temperature. This significant relationship between age at maturity and temperature was not altered in artificial growing environments. Our results suggested that for Black Carp, temperatures in the winter months are more important for its energy accumulation and maturation and may determine invasion risk in northern locations, such as tributaries of the Great Lakes.