It often thrives in degraded habitat that doesn't support native fish. Found in all drainage's of South Carolina. They are least common in coldwater streams and farm ponds.
Carp are omnivorous, meaning the eat about any type of plant and animal mater.
They suck up mouthfuls of mud and detritus, then expel it into the water and pick out dislodged insect, crustaceans, worms, plant seeds, and algae. Spawning by one female occurs over several days, with unattended eggs exceeding one million. For this reason, carp were introduced into this country form Europe in 1931. However, carp have never attained the popularity they had in their native countries. Here, carp are considered a nuisance because their feeding activity roots out vegetation and increases the turbidity of the water, both of which are forms of habitat degradation.