http://forum.aqua-fish.net/ A forum devoted to aquarium fish, plants, techniques and fish keeping as a whole. en http://forum.aqua-fish.net/?topic=what-fish-are-illegal-#1 I was just wondering as I found out that the pirahna is illegal in some us states I would like to know if this is true and what other fish are illegal that you know of??? Thanks from Zrekca original post: January 15, 2007, 1:53 pm anonymous 2008-05-01 http://forum.aqua-fish.net/?topic=what-fish-are-illegal-#2 Many fish are illegal because of where they came from as many are wild caught. Many of these cases of illegally imported fish are mainly Plecos, but can be others always check that the fish your buying if you are sure you have never seen it before that it is not illegal! **Important never release a carnivore into any wild waters. Ever!!!** You might think that you are helping this fish but only by giving the fish more food such as native fish. I must point out this is, EXTREMLY IMPORTANT!!!!! Piranhas must never be set free into any waters as they have the capability to kill everything even Crocodiles!!!!!! Piranhas are banned in some of the U.S states that have warm waters such as California, Iowa, Texas also (I know that this is not physically a U.S state) Hawaii, because these fish can survive and kill many native fish even Crocodiles as I have pointed out. In the U.K this is not the case as they would almost surely die in our cold waters. African Clawed Frogs are illegal in California, because of an incident where these were released in the wild reproduced like crazy and killed all native fish. The same rules apply **Important never release a carnivore into any wild waters. Ever!!!** Again this is not the case in the U.k. Although the one main set backs of fish keeping in the U.k is the Crayfish which is illegal, if it is not the Red-Clawed Crayfish(more commonly known as the Blue Lobster) It is almost certainly illegal. So beware of any Crayfish if it is not the one I have just mentioned it is illegal(I do believe that this is not the case in the U.S). Also in the U.k the Chinese Hi-fin Banded shark is illegal as it can survive in our coldwaters and kill many native species which is the same reason that many fish are illegal in the first place. I have copied a list of species that are illegal in the U.k (This does not apply to Scotland or the U.s) I will try to add their list when I get hold of them. I do realize that many of this fish are coldwater and are probably never even kept by aquarist but just in case, This is the species of fish that are illegal for the U.k > Abramis ballerus, Blue bream > Acipenser sp., Huso sp., Scaphirhynchus sp., Pseudoscaphirhynchus sp. and hybrids (sterlets and sturgeons) > Alburnoides bipunctatus, Schneider > Ambloplites rupestris, Rock bass > Ameiurus sp. (coldwater ameiurid catfishes, including the bullhead, Ameirus nebulosus) > Aspius aspius, Asp > Chalcaburnus chalcoides, Danubian bleak > Chrondrostoma nasus, Nase > Chrondrostoma toxostoma, Toxostome or French nase > Ctenopharyngodon idella, Grass carp > Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Silver carp > Ictalurus sp. (coldwater ictalurid catfishes, including the Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus) > Leuciscus souffia, Blageon > Lota lota, Burbot > Micropterus salmoides, Large mouthed bass > Mylopharyngodon piceus, Black or Snail-eating carp > Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow trout or Steelhead) > Oncorhynchus sp. (Pacific trout) > Polyodon spathula and Psephurus gladius (paddlefishes) > Pseudorasbora parva, Clicker barb or Topmouth gudgeon > Rhodeus sericeus, Bitterling > Salmo salar (Non-anadromous, landlocked Salmon) > Silurus sp. (coldwater silurid catfishes including the Wels, Silurus glanis) > Stizostedion sp., Zander > Vimba vimba, Vimba From Ackerz(hope this hopes) Ackerz 2008-05-01