Green Snakehead Questions

[pkillur]

Greetings all!

I currently have a 72 gallon bowfront tank with 11 Gourami (1 pink kissing, 3 blue, 3 opaline, 4 moonlight), 8 Danios (my trusty cyclers!), 3 rosy barbs, 4 tiger barbs, 4 cory cats, 2 farowellas (sp?) and 2 Chinese Algae eaters.

I am curious about purchasing a group of snakehead fish. But, I've heard a bunch on the news about snakeheads here in CA and I'm wondering if they are legal or not, and also if they will eat their tank mates?

Thanks,

-PK

 

[diademhill]

All snakeheads are banned throughout the USA.

Your tank is already overstocked - I assume the fish are juveniles as the gouramis will start squabbling as they mature.

 

[Tolak]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34886

At least thirteen states already ban possession of live snakeheads: Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

 

[andywg]

This is a complete cut and paste job of a sticky on the MFK forum (the mods don't normally like other forums being mention, but I had to give credit for the below as it is some extensive research):

The Lacey Act prohibits the importation, transportation, and acquisition of wildlife species deemed to be "injurious" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The following fish and invertebrate species are considered to be injurious under the Act:

(2) The importation, transportation, or acquisition of any of the species listed in this paragraph is prohibited except as provided under the terms and conditions set forth in Sec. 16.22:

(i) Live fish or viable eggs of walking catfish, family Clariidae;
(ii) Live mitten crabs, genus Eriocheir, or their viable eggs;
(iii) Live mollusks, veligers, or viable eggs of zebra mussels, genus Dreissena;
(iv) Any live fish or viable eggs of snakehead fishes of the genera Channa and Parachanna (or their generic synonyms of Bostrychoides, Ophicephalus, Ophiocephalus, and Parophiocephalus) of the Family Channidae, including but not limited to:
(A) Channa amphibeus (Chel or Borna snakehead).
(B ) Channa argus (Northern or Amur snakehead).
( C) Channa asiatica (Chinese or Northern Green snakehead).
(D) Channa aurantimaculata.
(E) Channa bankanensis (Bangka snakehead).
(F) Channa baramensis (Baram snakehead).
(G) Channa barca (barca or tiger snakehead).
(H) Channa bleheri (rainbow or jewel snakehead).
(I) Channa cyanospilos (bluespotted snakehead).
(J) Channa gachua (dwarf, gaucha, or frog snakehead).
(K) Channa harcourtbutleri (Inle snakehead).
(L) Channa lucius (shiny or splendid snakehead).
(M) Channa maculata (blotched snakehead).
(N) Channa marulius (bullseye, murrel, Indian, great, or cobra snakehead).
(O) Channa maruloides (emperor snakehead).
(P) Channa melanoptera.
(Q) Channa melasoma (black snakehead).
( R) Channa micropeltes (giant, red, or redline snakehead).
(S) Channa nox.
(T) Channa orientalis (Ceylon or Ceylonese Green snakehead).
(U) Channa panaw.
(V) Channa pleurophthalmus (ocellated, spotted, or eyespot snakehead).
(W) Channa punctata (dotted or spotted snakehead).
(X) Channa stewartii (golden snakehead).
(Y) Channa striata (chevron or striped snakehead).
(Z) Parachanna africana (Niger or African snakehead).
(AA) Parachanna insignis (Congo, square-spotted African or light African snakehead).
(BB) Parachanna obscura (dark African, dusky, or square-spotted snakehead).


Source: 50 Code of Federal Regulations §16.13.

[Federal Register: October 4, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 193)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 62193-62204]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04oc02-10]


[[Page 62193]]

So basically, anything from the genera Channa or parachanna is illegal in the entirety of the US.

 

[kubora666]

lol i have a striped snakehead, in england. not seen them much before but i was readily sold it. its a shame people in america cant own these they are very interesting fish.
also its not like the fish police are gonna bust into your house to make sure you ahve no snakeheads in tanks are they....
but still better safe then sorry

 

[andywg]

Ther are talks of starting to ban SH in England as the gradually warmer climate means the northern snakehead may actually be able to survive. Once a SH gets in the ecosystem it will wreak massive havoc. Hence the ban on all SH across the whole USA. The ban is mostly to stop importing rather than re-sale.

 

[pkillur]

All snakeheads are banned throughout the USA.

Your tank is already overstocked - I assume the fish are juveniles as the gouramis will start squabbling as they mature.

Yep. The Danios are going back to the store soon (except the two zebras... I kind of like them) as well as a few others though.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

All snakeheads are banned throughout the USA.

Your tank is already overstocked - I assume the fish are juveniles as the gouramis will start squabbling as they mature.

Yep. The Danios are going back to the store soon (except the two zebras... I kind of like them) as well as a few others though.

keep the danios; they do best in larger groups. its the 11 gouramis that are really too much! all gouramis are territorial and several of yours will grow to be quite large. i suggest you ask for further advice in the other anabantoids forum.

 

[diburning]

If you live in florida, you can just fish em out of a pond. They have established populations there.

just fish one out and dump it in your tank. Then unless they raid your house, no one will know that you have one.

 

[beblondie]

''also its not like the fish police are gonna bust into your house to make sure you ahve no snakeheads in tanks are they....''
FYI They can and do just that all it takes is somone to turn you in even announcing you have them can get
you investigated and to be complete even asking if or where you can get an illegal species can get you involved in a conspiracy charge.What many people fail to realise many fish and game agencies monitor
certain boards and even set up sting operations-Anne

 

[AMS]

If you live in florida, you can just fish em out of a pond. They have established populations there.

just fish one out and dump it in your tank. Then unless they raid your house, no one will know that you have one.

Sadly true. Many Southern states in the US (mostly Florida) are overrun with fish and other pets introduced into the non-native environment. Fish and reptiles prospered in Florida due to the warm climate. You can go into just about any large body of water in Florida and fish out piranhas, snakeheads, pacus, silver dollars, large gouramis, and many many many other fish in the aquarium trade. Many of these fish are actually thriving and breeding in Florida, particulary pacus and piranhas. Florida is a total mess with fish being introduced into their waters, their situation with reptiles is even worse. Just goes to show how much damage irresponsible pet owners can cause under the right conditions.

 

[nyaw_12]

im just curiused! why does SnakeHeads are ban in other country??

 

[demonmagus]

im just curiused! why does SnakeHeads are ban in other country??

they can breed and destroy the ecology I think

 

[anvil63]

"Sadly true. Many Southern states in the US (mostly Florida) are overrun with fish and other pets introduced into the non-native environment. Fish and reptiles prospered in Florida due to the warm climate. You can go into just about any large body of water in Florida and fish out piranhas, snakeheads, pacus, silver dollars, large gouramis, and many many many other fish in the aquarium trade. Many of these fish are actually thriving and breeding in Florida, particulary pacus and piranhas. Florida is a total mess with fish being introduced into their waters, their situation with reptiles is even worse. Just goes to show how much damage irresponsible pet owners can cause under the right conditions."


Don't forget Oscars. I got a call from my friend a couple of years ago, who is a fishing fanatic, who very excitably said "Dude I was watching OLN they're down in the Everglades and the just hooked a fish that looks exactly like the one in your tank." I looked it up and there is apparently a thriving population of Oscars in florida.


Carl

 

[diburning]

If you live in florida, you can just fish em out of a pond. They have established populations there.

just fish one out and dump it in your tank. Then unless they raid your house, no one will know that you have one.

Sadly true. Many Southern states in the US (mostly Florida) are overrun with fish and other pets introduced into the non-native environment. Fish and reptiles prospered in Florida due to the warm climate. You can go into just about any large body of water in Florida and fish out piranhas, snakeheads, pacus, silver dollars, large gouramis, and many many many other fish in the aquarium trade. Many of these fish are actually thriving and breeding in Florida, particulary pacus and piranhas. Florida is a total mess with fish being introduced into their waters, their situation with reptiles is even worse. Just goes to show how much damage irresponsible pet owners can cause under the right conditions.

hell, I see gouramis in natural ponds up here in massachusetts... I caught a couple while using a net to catch some sunnies. apparently, they can overwinter up here even though the water gets as low as 36F

"Sadly true. Many Southern states in the US (mostly Florida) are overrun with fish and other pets introduced into the non-native environment. Fish and reptiles prospered in Florida due to the warm climate. You can go into just about any large body of water in Florida and fish out piranhas, snakeheads, pacus, silver dollars, large gouramis, and many many many other fish in the aquarium trade. Many of these fish are actually thriving and breeding in Florida, particulary pacus and piranhas. Florida is a total mess with fish being introduced into their waters, their situation with reptiles is even worse. Just goes to show how much damage irresponsible pet owners can cause under the right conditions."


Don't forget Oscars. I got a call from my friend a couple of years ago, who is a fishing fanatic, who very excitably said "Dude I was watching OLN they're down in the Everglades and the just hooked a fish that looks exactly like the one in your tank." I looked it up and there is apparently a thriving population of Oscars in florida.


Carl

yes there are. They are a good sport fish down there. But Then again, because of these exotics, floridians eat funy things too (like plecos ) Heres a link to a florida fishing website that tells you if fish are good to eat... omg they eat acaras, plecos, and these giant cory-like fish called hoplos.

Florida Fisheries