Abstract: This paper is a review on problemsconcerning the food spectrum,selectivefeeding and digestibility of the food ofthe silver carp,Hypophthalmichthys molitrix.Food ingested by the silver carpcovers a broad range.The fish feedsmainly on phytoplankton,but also utili-zes organic detritus,benthic algae andzooplankton when suitable food is lac-king;sometimes animals of larger size,such as Conchostraca,may be swallowed.In accordance with the digestibilityand composition of nutriments,the va-rious kinds of food items play differentroles in the nutrition of the silver carp.Under certain conditions,the fish showsthe ability to select its preferable food.