# Illegal Fish



## e048

I figured I'd start a thread of where some fish species are illegal to keep as pets, and why they are illegal. 

I live in Texas and according to the Texas game and wildlife the following are illegal to own.

Piranhas (any species)
Arapima
Tiger Fish
Snake Heads
Fresh water eels (true eels)
Fresh water rays

I have no clue as to why these fish are illegal.

List where you're from and the species you know are illegal.


----------



## cossie

here in the Uk We can keep pirahnas,rays and snakeheads.


----------



## e048

LUCKY! There was this local fish store about 10mins from my house that had an arapima gigas, and a 300g piranha tank, they got shut down because these fish are illegal in Texas, I have no clue why


----------



## PostShawn

Fish are illegal because you buy them and then decide you can't house them and release them in the wild. Ok, maybe not you but it happens all the time with other people. So when released into the wild these fish dominate the native fish. Often times they can wipe out a native fish completely. This is the case with Snakeheads. So if people can't be responsible fish owners then this is what they have to do. Maybe it's a bit harsh but it's not like it's some little 4" fish. They get big and people buy them thinking they can handle it but they can't. If there is a current market for them then maybe make these fish that are illegal just more controlled. Make it so you have to register your fish with the state or something so they can keep tabs. The responsible fish owners won't have anything to worry about anyway. 

Anyway there are valid reasons that these fish are illegal. It's not just the govt telling us what to do.


----------



## PostShawn

Just noticed your signature with your fish. Have you had problems with your goldfish and the frogs? Just wondering. Mine go for anything small enough at the bottom that they can fit in their mouth. 

That tank is way to small for them by the way. The 4 goldfish would need a 55g alone. I have a 55g with too many goldfish right now so I know. I started them in a 14g. Then they got too big and I got a 55g. Then my fiance decided to put more in. Now I have an overstocked 55g of goldfish. Some of them are getting big too, upwards of 6-7 inches. And they can get at least twice that size. Mine are destined for pond life in the future though. The pleco will also outgrow that tank. I'd at least put those fish in the 30g for the time being. 

Anyway, not meaning to rag on you. I'm just a goldfish advocate since it seems they are the number one miss-understood fish even though they are everywhere. Good luck with your setups. Sounds cool.


----------



## e048

theyre small goldfish 1in most, the pleco is about 4 in, they dont go for the frogs at all, i had no place to put the frogs but they do fine, I have a spare 30g for when they get bigger. I know what you mean though it gets on my nerves when people buy goldfish and stuff them in little 5 gallon tanks


----------



## PostShawn

I'd do the 30g sooner the later. The types of fish you have in there (same with mine) are messy fish and it would help. I wanted frogs too. My Ryukin's would probably leave them alone but my Common goldfish are getting big and put just about anything in their mouth so I just don't trust them. I think I'm going to try some larger shrimp and if they get eaten then oh well. Anyway, nice bunch and good luck.


----------



## Obsidian

We just had a huge buttload of Rainbow trout released into our local lake. People are excited. Game and fish is suggesting people fish fast.... turns out the bass are eating them. ROFL. We are going to have some humongo bass in there.


----------



## e048

I did some further "research" into why some of these fish are illegal, its mostly because people release them into lakes and ponds and the fish wreak havoc on the native species (good call postshawn), What I don't see is how a tropical fish (Piranhas, Arapimas, Fresh water Rays) fish that need certain water parameters and are recommended for those who've been in the aquarium business for several years can live somewhere where the climate is totally different (Texas)


----------



## SGT Z

You won't see fish like pirahnas illegal in northern states because they would quickly die in the cold water. Texas, I can see them survining for at least a little while. Maybe enough time to reach maturity and breed, then subsequent generations adapting to the colder temperatures and surviving longer. Or just a case of better safe than sorry. 



















Now I know why I've never seen piranha at fish stores here in Virginia.


----------



## snyderguy

I don't know of any illegal fish in Michigan. I looked it up but couldn't really find anything.


----------



## Corwin

Almost all native fish are illegal to keep as far as I know.

Snakeheads are illegal in most places as well.


Hehehe I'm lucky, Canada's winters are so cold for the most part that most fish are legal here as they couldnt survive even if they were released.


----------



## cichbilly

i was told all native fish are illegal to keep (even tho i might have one in a tank!) because in the tank they are exposed to diseases that can be transmitted to other fish if they were released and could possibly decimate the population. that and snakeheads are mean! lol i saw river monsters where they fed the goldfish to the big snakehead that was sick! too bad they are illegal id get one!


----------



## emc7

Copied this from MFK 


GEORGIA:

"Keeping Georgia Wildlife as Pets
Exotic Animals
The animals listed below are examples of the exotic species regulated under Georgia Law. The Department should be consulted before any exotic animals which are not normally domesticated are acquired. Hybrids or crosses between any combination of domestic animals, wildlife, or regulated wild animals and all subsequent generations are regulated in Georgia and may not be held without a license.

Banded tetra
Piranha; all species
Grass, Silver and Bighead carp
Air-breathing catfishes; all species
Parasitic catfishes; all species
Giant walking catfishes; all species
Snakeheads; all species of genera Ophicephalus and Channa
Fresh-water stingray; all species"

See Also:

27-1-1.

This title shall be known and may be cited as the 'Game and Fish Code'.

27-5-5.
( a ) The following animals are considered to be inherently dangerous to human beings and are subject to the license or permit insurance requirements provided for in subsection ( f ) of Code Section 27-5-4

( 3 ) Class Osteichthyes:
( A ) Order Cypriniformes (Suborder Characoidei) : Family Characidae (tetra, piranha): Genera Serrasalmus, Serrasalmo, Pygocentrus, Taddyella, Rooseveltiella, Pygopristis (piranhas) - All species;
( B ) Order Siluriformes: Family Trichomycteridae (parasitic catfishes) : Genera Vandellia (candiru) and Urinophilus; and
( C ) Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) : Order Rajiformes : Family Potamotrygonidae (freshwater stingray) - All species

( b ) Except as provided in this Code section, a license or permit is required for the following wild animals and any others as specified by regulation of the board:

( 4 ) Class Osteichthyes (bony fish)
( A ) Order Cypriniformes (Suborder Characoidei): Family Characidae (tetra, piranha) :
( i ) Astynax faciatus (banded tetra);
( ii ) Genera Serrasalmus, Serrasalmo, Pygocentrus, Taddyella, Rooseveltia, Pygopristis (piranhas) - All species:

( B ) Order Cypriniformes (Suborder Cyprinoidei) Family Cyprinidae (carp, grass carp, orfe, etc.)
( i ) Ctenopharyngodon idella (grass carp);
( ii ) Hypophthalmichthys molitrix ( silver carp);
( iii ) Aristichthys nobilis (bighead carp):

( C ) Order Siluriformes:
( i ) Family Clariidae (air-breathing catfishes) - All species;
( ii ) Family Trichomycteridae (parasitic catfishes) - Genera Vandellia (candiru) and Urinophilus - All species;
( iii ) Family Heteropneustidae ( giant walking catfishes) Genus Heteropneustes - All species;

( D ) Order Perciformes (Suborder Channoidei) Family Channidae (snakeheads): Genera Ophicephalus and Channa - All species;

( 5 ) Class Chondrichthys (cartilaginous fish) : Order Rajiformes : Family Potamotrygonidae (fresh-water stingray ) - All species; and

( 6 ) All exotic fish which are not held in aquaria or tanks, provided that, as used in this Code section, 'aquaria or tanks' means containers for holding fish from which no water is discharged, except through periodic cleaning, and which discharged water is passed through a filtering system capable of removing all fish and fish eggs and is disposed of only in a septic tank permitted by the County or in a waste-water treatment system permitted by the Environmental Protection Division of the department. For purposes of this paragraph, exotic fish are all fish species not native to Georgia. This paragraph shall not apply to any species of fish regulated by any other chapter of this title.

Link to Georgia Game and Fish Code (PDF file) - See pages 151 - 162


----------



## e048

The guy at my lps was really upset when he found out you can't get FW rays in texas, I would be too if I had spent $600 and hours on the set up.


----------



## hXcChic22

Well, so far all I've found is that in Virginia, possession of snakeheads and American Shad is illegal, and you are also not allowed to possess sturgeon and these sharks: 

Atlantic angel, Squatina dumeril
Basking, Cetorhinus maximus
Bigeye sand tiger, Odontaspis noronhai
Bigeye sixgill, Hexanchus nakamurai
Bigeye thresher, Alopias superciliosus
Bignose, Carcharhinus altimus
Caribbean reef, Carcharhinus perezii
Caribbean sharpnose, Rhizoprionodon porosus
Dusky, Carcharhinus obscurus
Galapagos, Carcharhinus galapagensis
Longfin mako, Isurus paucus
Narrowtooth, Carcharhinus brachyurus
Night, Carcharhinus signatus
Sandbar, Carcharhinus plumbeus
Sand tiger, Carcharias taurus
Sevengill, Heptranchias perlo
Silky, Carcharhinus falciformis
Sixgill, Hexanchus griseus
Smalltail, Carcharhinus porosus
Whale, Rhincodon typus
White, Carcharodon carcharias


----------



## e048

most of these sharks get more than 3 feet, and would require tanks of more than 1000g also some of these species are threated or endangered (basking shark, Whale, White)


----------



## SGT Z

emc7, I noticed the list included all species of air-breathing catfish. I wonder if this would include plecos because they do breath air or are they referring to the catfish that sometimes crawl on land?


----------



## SGT Z

hXcChic22 said:


> Well, so far all I've found is that possession of snakeheads and American Shad is illegal, and you are also not allowed to possess sturgeon and these sharks:
> 
> Atlantic angel, Squatina dumeril
> Basking, Cetorhinus maximus
> Bigeye sand tiger, Odontaspis noronhai
> Bigeye sixgill, Hexanchus nakamurai
> Bigeye thresher, Alopias superciliosus
> Bignose, Carcharhinus altimus
> Caribbean reef, Carcharhinus perezii
> Caribbean sharpnose, Rhizoprionodon porosus
> Dusky, Carcharhinus obscurus
> Galapagos, Carcharhinus galapagensis
> Longfin mako, Isurus paucus
> Narrowtooth, Carcharhinus brachyurus
> Night, Carcharhinus signatus
> Sandbar, Carcharhinus plumbeus
> Sand tiger, Carcharias taurus
> Sevengill, Heptranchias perlo
> Silky, Carcharhinus falciformis
> Sixgill, Hexanchus griseus
> Smalltail, Carcharhinus porosus
> Whale, Rhincodon typus
> *White, Carcharodon carcharias*


Definitely glad that one is illegal!


----------



## funlad3

If the Great White is illegal, how did Monterrey Bay have one? Special permit?


----------



## hXcChic22

Sorry, I mean in Virginia all those sharks are illegal. 

I think aquariums have special permissions for fish keeping, anyway.


----------



## cossie

over here theres great whites in every sea-life centre.

Lol and ur Sea worlds do


----------



## emc7

I think they mean the crawlers. They do list the genera in the fine print. We don't need walking catfish.


----------



## blindkiller85

Here in Florida I was always under the impression that keeping any native fish, minus a few, was illegal. I.E. I kept two largemouth bass in my 120 for 2 weeks or so just for the fun of it and released them back into the pond where I caught them.

The natives I know for sure that you're allowed to keep in Florida are, surprisingly enough, Florida Gar. I've seen them in 5 different pet stores. Though these fish like many other gar, can grow upwards of 10 ft in length. The other I don't know where specifically that the fish is from, it's labled North America, is Golden Shiner. The a-typical bait fish for catching largemouth bass. I've gone back and fourth for a year at keeping them and breeding them because I have a nice bass boat and I go fishing all the time.


----------



## e048

Aquariums have permits and licenses to keep these fish, same with zoos. And they do mean walking catfish, I'm also glad nobody is allowed to keep parasitic catfish


----------



## lohachata

i love folks that keep illegal fish..i turn them in to the authorities and watch them go to jail and get fined....
snakeheads are illegal here.....a shop had a bunch of them..i made the call..they arrested him and put him out of business...


----------



## e048

I can see snake heads being illegal... but ive always wanted a piranha or two... or twelve


----------



## hXcChic22

Sea World does not have Great Whites... They did at one time, for all of 16 days. 

Monterey Bay was the first and ONLY place to successfully keep one in captivity for longer than a a few days. They kept one for a little over 6 months and released her, then another for a little over 4 months and released him, and a final third one for a little over 5 months til release. 

If there are others around the world, it's because they are temporarily housed while being rehabilitated, not on a permanent basis. Most of them refuse to eat or become disoriented/overly aggressive in captivity.


----------



## snyderguy

lohachata said:


> i love folks that keep illegal fish..i turn them in to the authorities and watch them go to jail and get fined....
> snakeheads are illegal here.....a shop had a bunch of them..i made the call..they arrested him and put him out of business...


lolll I feel like that's kind of a **************** move. I probably would say something first before I just make the call.


----------



## burninrubber390

heck i dont even know what fish are illegal in pa except for some natives


----------



## emc7

Some natives are illegal here. But there are more rules about taking them than keeping them. You need a fishing license. You can't take endangered fish. They restrict how fish are caught (nets, seine, hook & line) etc. Best to go collecting with a local NANFA type who can sort the catch and quote the rules.

As for calling some one in, a store should know what they have and what the rules are. I'd rather see existing law enforced than see new restrictions passed because a few scofflaws.

But I bet more than a few of the local "Piranha" are just misnamed Pacu. Not that Pacu make any sense as an aquarium fish. 

There was a big news story about a Piranha in a lake with "human-like" teeth. lol. Pacu are omnivores, so are we.


----------



## TheOldSalt

What really bugs me the most about the pirahna-in-a-lake stories is that 99% of them turn out to be pacu or even silver dollars, but the newspapers almost never report that part. They just let the sensational original pirahna stories stand.


----------



## SGT Z

snyderguy said:


> lolll I feel like that's kind of a **************** move. I probably would say something first before I just make the call.


I agree. You should give someone an opportunity to right their wrong before you pull a d*** move like that. There's always the chance they had no idea it was illegal.


----------



## lohachata

you don't tell the bank robber he is doing wrong..he knows it....and doesn't care...
this guy owned a shop....knew the fish were illegal...also knew he could make big money on them....no regard for the law....no regard for the potential damage to the local ecosystems......he didn't need to be told....
if you can't do the time.....don't commit the crime...
by the way.....if you witness a crime you are obligated to report it to the police....if you don't ; you could face criminal charges....


----------



## konstargirl

I wonder which fish are illegal in Illinois. I only know the natives.


----------



## e048

I thought it was kind of funny when I was shopping at my lps somebody was returning their pacus "too big" the guy said... people need to do research before buying fish...

As for turning people in, I would do the same. I would ask them if they the fish was illegal and warn them I would turn them in, give them some notice before they have the game warden knocking at their door.

As for most of these illegal fish there are only two I wish I would keep if i could: fresh water rays, and piranhas.


----------



## SGT Z

There's a huge difference between robbing a bank and selling a fish. It's not cool to be a narc.


----------



## hXcChic22

We had a monstrous pacu at our LFS that someone brought in... now that I think about it, what on earth did they transport him in? He was literally about two feet in diameter, if not bigger. 
He liked to be pet on the head


----------



## emc7

If one exotic, invasive fish is found in a local waterway the 'authorities' may turn around and virtual outlaw our hobby. Its literally amazing how much control 'local zoning ordinances' have over our lives. Better to turn in a scofflaw and make the case that there are responsible, law abiding fish-keepers. 

If someone ignorantly moves in from out-of-state with illegal fish, I'd warn first. But the jerk who boasts about his illegal pet is asking for it.

People buy all kinds of things off the web that they know or should know are illegal where they live.


----------



## e048

Unfortunetly not everyone follows ethics and rules


----------



## lohachata

sgt z....a crime is a crime is a crime...big or little...if someone witnessed your mother getting robbed i guess you wouldn't want them to say anything to the authorities...
some folks can think of all kinds of ways to justify violating the law....

i agree emc....one idiot can really throw a monkey wrench into our hobby...


----------



## hXcChic22

lol @ "narc". Like being honest and following the laws put in place for ours and nature's safety is wrong.


----------



## e048

What should be illegal is keeping goldfish in bowls, or any fish in bowls (maybe OK for bettas... Maybe)


----------



## Hansolo

lohachata said:


> i love folks that keep illegal fish..i turn them in to the authorities and watch them go to jail and get fined....
> snakeheads are illegal here.....a shop had a bunch of them..i made the call..they arrested him and put him out of business...


Sounds to me like a better hobby is needed other than fishkeeping. If you love seeing people go to jail over a "POSSIBLE MISTAKE". Maybe a job at Wal-Mart as greater since you are in that age group. Since you like seeing people in jail so much perhaps you could work as a turnkey in your local jail. Then you could book all the people with illegal fish and laugh at them in there cells. You probably ruined that guys dreams and destroyed his savings. You should have just made a citizens arrest yourself since you are so into law enforcement. Thanx a lot. We are all saved from a few illegal fish. SNITCH


----------



## Cacatuoides

I'm with loha on this one, if it was something along the lines of someone brought it into him and he didn't know what it was or that it was illegal is one thing. But to be selling them with knowledge that they are illegal and not really caring is another. I would have done the same thing.


----------



## SGT Z

I wasn't saying to let him slide. I was saying man up and talk to the guy in person instead of cowering behind your phone talking anonymously to the authorities. Not cool.


----------



## lohachata

i gave the police my name , address and phone number..and also told them that i would testify in court if they wished...the guy knew he was selling illegal fish..he had been in the business for several years...i have not need to be cool..
besides..."ignorance to the law is no excuse"
i don't want to be the turnkey...i want to be the guy that pulls the switch for the chair..


----------



## hXcChic22

lohachata said:


> besides..."ignorance to the law is no excuse"
> i don't want to be the turnkey...i want to be the guy that pulls the switch for the chair..


You crack me up, John. 

Seriously, though, what are you guys, 13 again? Narcs and snitches are little kid words used to describe people that do the right thing but aren't "right" for doing it because it hurts someone's feelings or results in what seems like an unfair punishment. 

I'm with Lohachata on this one, too... anyone in the fish business (you DO have to get a license for these types of things that states what IS and ISN'T allowed to be sold/bought) knows better than to be keeping or trying to sell illegal fish from a public store, for crying out loud. He was a big boy, and obviously made a stupid big boy decision. Now he suffers the consequences. 

Whether or not we think a law is "fair" doesn't make a difference to law enforcement. Just because a lot of people think cell phone laws are unfair doesn't mean you won't get a ticket for it if you get pulled over and you're talking on one. :withstup:


----------



## emc7

I can't see walking up to someone and saying "you are doing something illegal, cut it out or I'll tell". Where do you live, a Rambo movie? Thats like saying "shoot me now". You don't owe a lawbreaker anything. Let the courts decide to give him another chance or not. If the penalty was harsh, it was likely not his first offense. 

The 'no snitch' nonsense means people who follow the laws get the worse of both worlds. All the restrictions of law, but no protection from lawbreakers and unfair competition from lawbreakers. 

Either everyone should snitch and everyone should face equal penalties for illegal activity. Then when too many defendants clog the courts, we would scale back the laws to things that are most important. Or we should just throw out the book, buy guns and live in anarchy.


----------



## TheOldSalt

Whoo!
+1 on the anarchy option.


----------



## lohachata

YAAAYYYY for anarchy.....i already own lots of guns..spent over 25 years as a dealer..
and yes...i held an FFL..
actually...the word "NARC" means "NARCOTICS AGENT".....not a snitch..

thank you emc...i am not always real good with words...you are pretty darned smart for a girl...lol

remember some years ago when them 2 fellas walked through the streets of LA shooting everything ?..somebody should have let them know they were breaking the law...
again...big or small ; a crime is a crime..no difference except for the punishment..
and in the U S ; the laws are just not enforced enough or sometimes as rigidly as they need to be..


----------



## funlad3

"Thanx a lot. We are all saved from a few illegal fish. SNITCH" 

"Yes", says the man. "I know to be careful with these Asian Carp!" Splash! "Whoops!"

Look where we are now. I don't agree with all laws, but these laws are logical. If you kill someone because you never knew it was wrong, you still go to jail. If you kill the entire countries ecosystem unknowingly, you go to jail big time.

Everyone, please try to keep it friendly. I ask as a person who hates to see others squabble aver things that have happened. Someone made a choice to report someone. Too bad! It happened! Yelling doesn't change that. For better or for worse, it's happened. 




Oh, anarchy is good. As long as it's anarchy *with ethics*, anarchy is good.


----------



## emc7

Paying for law enforcement with high taxes and then hindering law enforcement by protecting perpetrators is just stupid. This country is so schizoid. Either repeal a law or enforce it. 

I feel bad for illegal people whose parents brought them in as babies and don't even speak the language of country they are citizens in. But we wouldn't have people in this situation if we either widened legal immigration or enforced existing laws. This whole 'don't ask, don't tell', ignore any issue there is a big division on and hope it goes away on its own is just stupid. 

We can't agree on big government big taxes or small services, small taxes, so we have lots of spending, small taxes and a humongous deficit. Congratulations, congress, you got elected. Too bad you can't actually govern with sense.

Anarchy is like communism. It works fine with the right people. But you will alway get a wrong person. But in anarchy, you can shoot him. You could buy some nice guns for what we pay in taxes. Also buy subscription fire protection, pay for private school, build your own road, buy your own snowplow. etc.


----------



## funlad3

Congress, as well as most other politicians, spend all of their time working to please their political parties instead of us, those who elected them. The entire system doesn't work. Also gone!


----------



## hXcChic22

What, is some group blowing up the moon or something?
Sounds ominous.


----------



## funlad3

See? Gone!!!


----------



## lohachata

nostradamus i believe..
lad...i am probably one of the nicest people you will ever meet in your lifetime..not my intent to be mean to folks..lol..


----------



## SGT Z

All I know is you may have seriously harmed someone and their family for the sake of who knows what. I sure hope you never go even 1 MPH over the speed limit, because that is more harmful to your fellow man than some dude selling illegal fish. You see, there's only one way to be cool -- it's not the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, or the car you drive. It's doing whatever it is that makes you you without harming others. You may have seriously screwed that guys life over because you wanted to tell on him for selling some fish when he really wasn't hurting anyone. That's a big no-no in the book of cool. Like I said before, if you drive even 1 MPH over the speed limit, you're a huge hypocrite.


----------



## funlad3

Okay, again. Lohachata reported the guy who KNEW he was breaking the law that was made to protect our ecosystem. He did the right thing, because one mistake can screw over the country. (Asian Carp) You're allowed to slightly speed, just to disprove your example...

Seriously, he did what he did. Get over it.


----------



## TheOldSalt

reference deleted


----------



## funlad3

Yeah, I suppose that'd be good. It's just some random numbers. I'll take it off, but if something strange does happen, I'll be screwed... Now, if everyone who quoted me would kindly get rid of my crypticness...


----------



## emc7

There are unenforced laws everywhere and we break the law every day because we know they aren't enforced. We don't lock up every idiot texting and driving, only those who are unlucky enough to kill someone. I think this is fundamentally unfair and instead of selective enforcement we should repeal unenforceable laws and aggressive enforce the few we keep.
I would set the speed limit at 90 and take your car at 91. People would still drive 79 to be safe like do now to avoid the 20 over the 60 mph limit and we wouldn't have such a high % of lawbreakers. 

However, the laws exist and when you break one you risk getting caught. Your fault, not any one else. Whether no one tattles on you or hundreds do, its still your own fault for breaking the law.


----------



## funlad3

Especially if you know! Like this guy did! Thank you emc7!


----------



## hXcChic22

Someday, SGT, you will realize that being "cool" is not everyone's main (or even minor) objective in life. The day I stopped trying to make everyone else happy and stop caring what people think of me was the day I also decided I would stop searching for love and let it find me. A month or so later, I met the man who is now my husband. 

People that spend their lives trying to be cool and accepted by everyone end up pleasing everyone BUT themselves and dying unfulfilled. In John's mind, it was right and his duty as a law-abiding citizen to report a misdeed. That's pretty cool in my book that he had the stones to do it in the first place.


----------



## Obsidian

The "snitch" rule: If you don't want to get snitched on, don't do something worth snitching for. Easy as that. The you don't snitch on me issue is made for one thing and one thing only: I get to do bad things and get away with it. That includes killing people. 'nough said.

I know someone who was busted for 16 in a 15. He was mad, but ALSO took responsibility for the fact that he shouldn't have done it. He brought it on himself. I speed all the time (less now than before) and I never get mad at the cops that pull me over. They have a job to do, I gave them a reason to do it. I am quite nice which would explain why I have only had 3 tickets in all the times I have been pulled over (in 24 years). 

I work with kids on probation. I tell them... you can either give your PO a reason to do their job, or you can use them for support so you can turn things around, up to you. Don't break probation then get mad at them for it, they aren't the ones who broke probation. 

John look at what you have gone and done this time. Devil goat boy.


----------



## funlad3

(This whole part sounded depressing, so now it doesn't!!! Lalala! Thought Police!) Happiness, not others' opinions, is the key to success.


----------



## emc7

cool is a career for a handful of celebrities. For the rest of us, it doesn't matter much once we escape high school. But even in high school, people are thinking of you less than you realize most are preoccupied with their own stuff. If they think you are cool or a dweeb its a fleeting thought in a full day. Those who spend all day judging, grouping, and mocking others are the ones who will say "high school was the best time of my life" and they will coast down hill for the rest of their lives. The ones they tortured will get happier once they are out and able to practice "freedom of association" with people who know and value them.


----------



## e048

not fish related but aren't caimans illegal?


----------



## emc7

oh, i have a good link http://www.bornfreeusa.org/b4a2_exotic_animals.php 
In GA, you need a license to own a manatee.


----------



## lohachata

good thing we don't need one here in ohio...i know this one guy that is married to one...
egads ; what a mustache..


----------



## Platysaurus

Ohio: 
walking catfish (Clarias batrachus)
diploid white amur or diploid grass carp (Ctenopharygodon idella) 
silver carp-white bream (Hypophtalmichtyhys molitirx) 
black amur-black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus)
bighead carp-bighead-bighead amur (Aristichthys nobilis)
ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus)round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) tubenose goby (Proterorhynus marmoratus)
snakeheads (Channa spp. and Parachanna spp.)
white perch (Morone Americana)
three spine stickleback (Culaeea aculeatus)
sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
eastern banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus diaphanus)
marron (Cherax tenuimarus)
Yabbie (Cherax destructor)
zebra mussel (Dreissera polymorphi)
quagga mussel (Dreissens busoniss) 
rudd (Scardinus crythothalmos)
hybrid of such species

Also, an interesting site for 'stupid laws'.
On Ohio's page: http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/ohio
Edit: Just looked up some of these species. Kind of makes me sad that they're illegal here.


----------



## TheOldSalt

The last I checked, Caimans were the legal alternative to alligators. I'm sure it's likely a state-by-state thing.


----------



## e048

the petstore by my house has an 8inch dwarf caiman for sale in their carp pond


----------



## funlad3

Well NOW I'm jealous! The coolest "Pet" I've ever seen was at my best friend's Mom's house. She worked for Animal Control and had two Red Tailed Hawks.


----------



## TheOldSalt

Nifty. I'd like an owl of some sort. That would be cool.

One thing I've always wanted was a Flying Fox, or a bunch of them.


----------



## funlad3

Owls are cool. My grandma watches some owls in California via a web cam. I'll post the link if I come across it.I think it'd be awesome to have a pet snow leopard. That's nothing but class.


----------



## e048

When I was younger my father wanted a monkey... he wanted it to pester people he didn't like


----------



## funlad3

That's what politicians are for!


----------



## e048

he told me he wanted it to throw it's leavings in demand, like a tiny filthy catapult


----------



## funlad3

Do monkeys even throw their poop? I've never seen it happen except in cartoons!


----------



## e048

it must be based on some truth


----------



## lohachata

yes ; they do throw it...nasty vile creatures they are..once you go to someones house that have a monkey ; you will never go back.....the stench is horrid...


----------



## TheOldSalt

They throw it like crazy, I can assure you. They're sneaky about it, too, and might hide it behind their backs for hours, just waiting for the perfect time to let it fly.


----------



## blindkiller85

I'm confused on how this went from illegal fish to monkeys throwing and eating their own poo.....


----------



## e048

same here... oh well i can see now how easily we can all get distracted


----------



## funlad3

Is distraction necessarily a bad thing? TOS, you sound as if you know this from personal experience. Do you?


----------



## Superfly724

Yeah, I'm staying away from people that own monkeys. Especially after that one incident where the lady got attacked. That was awful.


----------



## TheOldSalt

Oh, yes, very personal experience. I used to be a zookeeper, and going near the chimpanzee area was always the least favorite part of my day.


----------

