The silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) is a large, fast-growing fish native to eastern Asia. It is filter-feeder that can consume large quantities of plankton and compete with native fish species. Silver carp were introduced into the United States in the 1970s as part of an aquaculture program aimed at controlling phytoplankton in fish ponds and wastewater treatment facilities. However, they have since escaped from these facilities and have become an invasive species in the Mississippi River and other waterways in the United States.