The reason for importation was generally for use in aquaculture, but enhancement of wild fisheries and water quality control have also been intended on occasion.

The gill rakers are fused into a sponge-like filter, and an epibranchial organ secretes mucus, which assists in trapping small particles.

Silver carp, like all Hypophthalmichthys species, have no stomachs; they are thought to feed more or less constantly, largely on phytoplankton, and also consume zooplankton and detritus.

In places where this plankton-feeding species has been introduced, they are thought to compete with native planktivorous fishes, which in North America include paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus), gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), and young fish of almost all species.

Certain species of blue-green algae, notably the often toxic Microcystis, can pass through the gut of silver carp unharmed, picking up nutrients in the process.

[10] The silver carp in its natural range migrate upstreams for spawning; eggs and larvae then drift downstream, and young fish hatch in the floodplain zone.

[12] The species is currently classified as near threatened in its original range, as its habitat and reproductive behavior are impacted by construction of dams, pollution, and overfishing.

[14] In at least some parts of the United States, bighead and silver carp hybridize in the wild and produce fertile offspring.

These barriers are installed at Barkley Lock and Dam in Kentucky, and are currently being studied for their effectiveness in deterring Asian carp.

[22] Boaters traveling in uncovered high-speed watercraft have been reported to be injured by running into airborne fish while at speed.