The bighead carp was imported by a private farmer in Arkansas in the early 1970s to improve water quality in his culture ponds and feeds primarily on zooplankton. Several studies showed when bigheads were cultured along with catfish,  the production of catfish was depressed.  This bighead carp was collected in Lake Erie by commercial fisherman just last summer.  There have been several others collected in the lake in the last five years.  The most recent was a 17.5 kg and 937 mm bighead collected on the Canadian side last Fall. There is some preliminary data that indicates that there may be competition with paddlefish in the Mississippi River.