You're scrolling through fish for sale online and spot one you've wanted for years, maybe a red-bellied piranha or a freshwater stingray. The listing says it ships overnight, and before you check out, you want to know whether you can legally have it shipped to your house.
The answer depends mostly on where you live. Federal law bans a short list of species from import, but almost every rule that matters to a home aquarium is a state rule, and the lists differ a lot from one state to the next. A piranha that's legal in one state can get you a fine in the next one over.
Federal rules apply everywhere, so they come right after the map. Each state's entry then shows what it bans, what needs a permit and, for states that allow only listed fish, what their lists leave out. Last checked October 2026. This isn't legal advice, so check with your state wildlife and agriculture agencies before you buy.
Federal rules that apply everywhere
These federal rules apply in every state. An injurious species can't be brought into the US, or shipped between the continental US, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US territories, without a federal permit, and permits are only issued for zoological, educational, medical or scientific purposes. The Asian arowana is also listed as endangered, so it can't be imported or sold across state lines for the pet trade. Federal wildlife agents have seized Asian arowana and snakeheads from sellers and private homes, and people have faced federal charges for selling, importing or possessing them (US Attorney's Office, 2021; AZFamily, 2024). Most states also ban owning snakeheads.
Federal law lists these as injurious wildlife (18 U.S.C. 42; 50 CFR 16.13):
- Walking catfishes (the whole family Clariidae)
- Snakeheads (all Channa and Parachanna)
- Silver, bighead, largescale silver and black carp, crucian carp, Prussian carp, Eurasian minnow, roach and stone moroko
- Nile perch, Amur sleeper, European perch, zander and wels catfish
- Mitten crabs (Eriocheir), zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena) and the common yabby crayfish (Cherax destructor)
Four other federal rules apply too:
- USDA APHIS bars moving apple snails (family Ampullariidae, which includes Marisa) between states except for research. The exception is the mystery snail, Pomacea diffusa (long treated as a subspecies of P. bridgesii), which "may move interstate without a permit."
- Plants on the Federal Noxious Weed List can't be brought into the US or moved between states without a USDA permit (7 CFR 360.300). The aquatic ones include hydrilla, hygro (Hygrophila polysperma), ambulia (Limnophila sessiliflora), Lagarosiphon major, duck-lettuce (Ottelia alismoides), the giant salvinias, water spinach, mosquito fern (Azolla pinnata) and the Mediterranean strain of Caulerpa taxifolia (7 CFR 360.200).
- The Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) and the paroon shark (Pangasius sanitwongsei) are both listed as endangered "wherever found" under the Endangered Species Act, so importing them or selling them across state lines needs a federal permit, and those aren't issued for the pet trade (50 CFR 17.11)
- The Lacey Act makes it a federal crime to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any fish or wildlife "taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State" (16 U.S.C. 3372).
Most states also ban many of the same fish under their own rules, which can reach possession and in-state sale.
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Prohibited fish by state: all 50 states
When a state calls a fish prohibited, you can't keep it without a special permit, and hobbyists rarely get those permits.
Most states regulate only the fish they name. A few work the other way. Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming keep an allowed list, a list of restricted families, or a permit rule with a narrow exemption, so a fish the rule doesn't clear is banned or needs a permit. That catches ordinary game and pond fish as well as exotics. The map shows each fish state by state, and the entries below point out the results people don't expect.
Alabama
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Under Alabama's rule, no one may possess, sell or import these:
- Piranhas (Serrasalmus, Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, Catoprion, Pygopristis)
- Walking catfish (all Clarias)
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
- Black carp
- Crucian and Prussian carp, roach, rudd and Eurasian minnow
- Zander, European perch, wels catfish and Amur sleeper
- Mud carp (Cirrhinus)
- Lates and Macquaria (Nile perch and barramundi; golden perch and Macquarie perch)
- Chinese perch (Siniperca)
- Non-native sturgeon and non-native freshwater eels (Anguillidae)
Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.26(1), Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Alaska
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
In Alaska, ornamental (aquarium) fish not raised for food or sport may not be reared in or released into state waters or lands, and their waste water may not go directly into state waters, though the fish themselves may be imported.
Since USARK v. Zinke (2017), federal law doesn't bar shipping injurious-listed fish from another continental state to Alaska, but the shipment can't travel through Canada, and Alaska's own rule still applies.
Source: 5 AAC 41.070(c), Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Arizona
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
To keep any of these in Arizona, you need a special license, because the state classes them as restricted live wildlife:
- Piranhas (Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, Serrasalmus)
- Freshwater stingrays (Potamotrygonidae)
- Gars (Lepisosteidae)
- Arapaima (listed as Arapaima gigas)
- Electric eel (only Electrophorus electricus is named, so ask AZGFD about the two newer species; see old names)
- Hoplias malabaricus
- Snakeheads
- Walking catfish (Clariidae)
- Labeo rohita and other Indian carps
- Grass, silver, bighead and black carp
- Golden orfe (ide), red shiner and white perch
- Lates
- Several tilapia species (O. aureus, O. mossambicus, O. niloticus, O. urolepis hornorum, T. zillii, now Coptodon zillii)
- All species of the genus Astyanax (including the blind cave tetra)
- Pike topminnow (Belonesox)
- Electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus)
- Whale catfish, plus candiru and all other pencil catfishes (Trichomycteridae)
- Most native and game fish, including catfish and bullheads, trout and salmon, perch, walleye and sauger, black bass, sunfish and crappie, and white, striped and yellow bass and their hybrids
- Sturgeon (sterlet included), paddlefish, freshwater drum, goldeye, mooneye, lampreys, and herring and shad other than threadfin shad
- All freshwater crayfish (Astacidae, Cambaridae, Parastacidae)
- All Pomacea apple snails. The rule also gives them the common name "Chinese mystery snail", which belongs to a different snail (see old names), so ask AZGFD before buying a real Chinese mystery snail.
- New Zealand mud snail
GloFish need no permit. Arizona counts a transgenic fish as wildlife only when its added genes come from a restricted species, and the genes in GloFish don't.
Source: Ariz. Admin. Code R12-4-406 (restricted live wildlife), Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Arkansas
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Every species below is on Arkansas's prohibited exotic aquatic species list:
- Piranhas (listed as all species of family Serrasalmidae, which taxonomically also includes pacus and silver dollars)
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
- Walking catfishes (Clariidae)
- Mexican banded tetra (listed as Astyanax aeneus). Arkansas bans by common name, and that name was once applied to the blind cave tetra (see old names), so ask AGFC before ordering one.
- Nile perch
- Largescale silver carp and other invasive species
- Golden orfe (ide)
- White perch
- Yellow perch
- Alewife and blueback herring
- All sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae)
- Red-rim melania (the Malaysian trumpet snail)
- Chinese and Japanese mystery snails
- Channeled and giant (island) apple snails (P. maculata)
- New Zealand mud snail, quilted melania (Tarebia granifera), ghost ramshorn (Biomphalaria havanensis) and big-ear radix (Radix auricularia)
- All Cherax crayfish (redclaw, yabby, marron)
- Marbled crayfish
- Everglades crayfish (Procambarus alleni, the blue crayfish)
Source: AGFC Code 26.13 and Addendum J1.04 (Prohibited Exotic Aquatic Species List), Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
California
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Only permit holders may keep these in California, and the state doesn't issue those permits for pets:
- Piranhas (Serrasalmus, Pygocentrus and Pygopristis, plus older names for them)
- Hoplias malabaricus
- All gars (Lepisosteidae)
- Bowfin
- Snakeheads
- Freshwater stingrays (Potamotrygonidae)
- Walking/airbreathing catfish (Clarias, Heterobranchus)
- Airsac catfish
- Grass, silver, bighead, black carp
- Several tilapia (including O. aureus, O. niloticus, T. zillii, now Coptodon zillii, with county exceptions)
- Barramundi
- Requiem sharks (Carcharhinus, such as the bull shark; the rule calls them freshwater sharks. Aquarium 'sharks' like bala and redtail sharks belong to the carp family and aren't covered)
- Pike killifish (Belonesox)
- Banded tetra (listed as Astyanax fasciatus; the true banded tetra is now Psalidodon fasciatus). That name was once applied to the blind cave tetra, so ask CDFW before ordering one (see old names).
- Candiru and whale catfish
- Golden orfe (ide)
- White perch and white bass
- Walleye, yellow perch, freshwater drum and gizzard shad
- All freshwater eels (Anguilla), including the American eel
- Sea lamprey
- All transgenic fish, including GloFish
- New Zealand mud snail
- All Cambaridae crayfish except red swamp and virile crayfish (which covers blue and dwarf crayfish)
Source: 14 CCR § 671, California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Colorado
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Colorado makes it unlawful to possess live aquatic wildlife unless the species is on the state's allowed list or is classed as "unregulated wildlife." That list includes "all tropical and subtropical fishes" (the rule defines the region as 26° N to 26° S), goldfish and koi. A separate aquatic nuisance species rule prohibits listed species, including rusty crayfish, the New Zealand mudsnail and the aquarium plants Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa), Lagarosiphon major (sold as "Elodea crispa"), parrot feather, giant salvinia, water hyacinth and hydrilla.
Temperate fish such as gars aren't on either list. Colorado's possession list allows only five crayfish, all North American species (plus red swamp crayfish bought to eat), and allows redclaw and barramundi only at licensed food-production facilities, so don't expect blue crayfish, CPOs or redclaw to be legal pets there. Freshwater shrimp are on the list. Ask CPW in writing before ordering anything that isn't a tropical fish, and any other invertebrate. As written, the state's general provisions also require a CPW importation license to bring any live aquatic wildlife into the state, so ask CPW whether that applies to aquarium fish shipped to you.
The possession list covers the usual game and pond fish, such as rainbow, brown, brook, cutthroat and lake trout, kokanee salmon, perch, walleye, the common basses, bluegill, green sunfish, redear, pumpkinseed, crappie, catfish and bullheads. It lists largemouth bass by common name, which covers the Florida bass too (see old names). Anything missing from the list is banned. The Texas cichlid is a gray area, because its native range straddles the 26° N line in the tropical-fish rule. Fish people don't expect to be banned include Alabama and yellow bass, warmouth, other sunfish such as the longear and redbreast, Atlantic salmon and Pacific salmon other than kokanee, sturgeon and the sterlet, paddlefish, goldeye, mooneye, alewife, burbot, sticklebacks, the American eel and the sea lamprey.
Source: 2 CCR 406-0, Chapter W-0, #011 and #012 (effective July 1, 2026) and Chapter W-11, #1103, Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Connecticut
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Most aquarium species need no permit in Connecticut, but these are prohibited:
- Piranhas (the genera Serrasalmus, Pygocentrus and Pygopristis, plus older names for them), except for public display by permit
- Walking catfish (Clariidae, including Clarias and Heterobranchus, and the airsac catfish Heteropneustes), except for public display by permit
- Snakeheads (Channa, Parachanna)
- Gars (Lepisosteidae)
- Bowfin
- Rohu and calbasu (Labeo rohita, L. calbasu)
- Black, silver and bighead carp
- Grass carp, only by permit
- Rudd, tench and golden orfe (ide)
- White bass, gizzard shad, freshwater drum and all sturgeon, including the sterlet
Rudd, tench, orfe, rohu, calbasu, white bass, gizzard shad, drum and sturgeon are allowed only for public display or research, and even then each one needs a permit.
Source: Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 26-55-1, Connecticut DEEP.
Delaware
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Delaware requires the Director's written permission to transport, buy, possess or sell walking catfish, grass carp, or live northern or blotched snakeheads.
Source: 7 Del. Admin. Code 3300-3308, Delaware DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Florida
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Florida's Prohibited species can't be kept as pets. FWC permits them only for research, public educational exhibition, or eradication and control, and a personal-use permit covers only an animal owned before its species was listed:
- Piranhas and pirambebas (subfamily Serrasalminae)
- Snakeheads
- Electric eels (named only as Electrophorus electricus, so check with FWC on the newer species; see old names)
- Electric catfish
- African tigerfish (Hydrocynus)
- Candiru
- Trahiras (Erythrinidae)
- Airbreathing catfish (Clariidae, except C. batrachus, which is Conditional)
- Airsac catfish
- Australian crayfish (Cherax, except redclaw in closed systems)
- Most tilapia
- Green sunfish and its hybrids, including the hybrid bluegill
- Sea lamprey
Conditional species can't be kept as pets either. FWC permits them only for research, commercial import or export businesses, and public aquaria, zoos and educational exhibitors:
- Arowanas (the family Osteoglossidae, all except the silver arowana)
- Arapaima and the African bonytongue (the genera Arapaima and Heterotis, all species)
- Freshwater stingrays
- Dorados (Salminus)
- Lates
- Asian carps
- Redclaw crayfish
- Red swamp and southern white river crayfish (Procambarus zonangulus). No permit is needed west of the Apalachicola River, or when they're imported for direct sale to food wholesalers and retailers. Pond farming is banned statewide.
- Blue catfish (no permit needed in the Suwannee River or anywhere north and west of it)
- Northern largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans), though crosses with Florida bass are fine in the Suwannee River and north and west of it, and Florida bass need no permit (see old names)
- Four tilapia species (blue and Nile tilapia need no permit in FWC's Northeast, North Central, South and Southwest regions)
Separately, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services lists hygro (Hygrophila polysperma), ambulia (Limnophila sessiliflora) and water lettuce as prohibited aquatic plants that can't be brought into the state.
Its noxious weed list also covers these (Fla. Admin. Code r. 5B-57.007):
- Hydrilla
- Water hyacinths (listed as Eichhornia, a genus now merged into Pontederia)
- Lagarosiphon
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- Crested floating heart
- Water spinach
- Salvinia other than S. minima
Source: Fla. Admin. Code r. 68-5.006 (Prohibited) and the FWC Conditional species list, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Georgia
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Georgia prohibits these outright:
- Snakeheads
- Giant tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath, which the rule calls the African tigerfish)
- Bighead, silver and black carp
- Lates
- Wels catfish
- The marbled crayfish
Keeping any of these takes a license plus liability insurance:
- Piranhas, listed as the subfamily Serrasalminae. That covers Metynnis silver dollars, but pacus and Myleus silver dollars may fall outside it (see old names), so ask DNR before ordering a pacu or silver dollar.
- Electric eels
- Freshwater stingrays
- Candiru
These need a license:
- Arapaima
- Banded astyanax (Psalidodon fasciatus)
- Trahiras (Erythrinidae)
- Grass carp
- Airbreathing and airsac catfish
- Goonch catfish (Bagarius)
- Swamp eels
- Assassin snails (Anentome helena)
- New Zealand mud snail
- Nearly all crayfish (dwarf crayfish, red swamp crayfish and the southern White River crayfish, Procambarus zonangulus, are exempt)
All Pomacea apple snails and Asian mystery snails (listed as Cipangopaludina) are licensed only for scientific purposes, so hobbyists can't keep them. Keeping exotic fish anywhere other than aquaria or tanks (for example, outdoor ponds) needs a license. Georgia DNR's legal pets page says regulated exotic species generally can't be kept as pets, so ask DNR before ordering anything on these lists.
Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-8-.03 to .05 (effective Dec 4, 2022; also on LII: .03, .04, .05), Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.
Hawaii
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Hawaii's List of Prohibited Animals includes these fish:
- Piranhas (Serrasalminae, except Colossoma and Mylossoma pacus and Metynnis, Myleus and Myloplus silver dollars; Piaractus pacus such as the red-bellied pacu aren't exempt)
- Payaras (Hydrolycus)
- Freshwater stingrays (the list names them under the family Dasyatidae, but they're now classed as Potamotrygonidae)
- Gars
- Arapaima
- Snakeheads (all Channidae except the striped snakehead, listed as Ophiocephalus striatus, now Channa striata). Federal law still bars bringing any snakehead into Hawaii.
- Walking catfish (Clariidae, with one exception)
- Electric eel
- Pike cichlids
- Freshwater barracuda (Acestrorhynchus)
- Pike killifish (Belonesox belizanus)
- Electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus)
- Freshwater eels (Anguilla), including the American eel
- Lampreys, including the sea lamprey
Most other aquarium animals (fish, snails, shrimp) need to be on the conditionally approved or restricted lists. Hawaii sorts animals into tiers. Anything on the prohibited list is banned, and so is anything on none of the lists. Conditionally approved animals need a permit. Restricted Part A is for institutions only, while Restricted Part B means a permit plus a site inspection.
Bitterling, the Texas cichlid, banded knifefish, hoplo catfish, golden orfe (ide), koi, the zebra danio, the black shark (Labeo chrysophekadion) and the big-ear radix snail are conditionally approved, and each one needs an import permit. Barramundi is on Restricted Part B, which adds a site inspection to the permit.
Mainland game and pond fish don't get in freely either. Bluegill, pumpkinseed, warmouth, the longear and orangespotted sunfish, channel catfish and the threespine and fourspine sticklebacks are conditionally approved and need an import permit. Restricted Part B covers the Florida bass, the striped × white hybrid bass, white sturgeon, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, and coho and Chinook salmon, so each needs a site inspection on top of the permit. The northern largemouth, white and striped bass, redear and redbreast sunfish, brown, brook and lake trout, and sturgeon other than the sterlet and white sturgeon aren't on any list, so like crappie and blue catfish, they're banned for hobbyists. Many mainland live-fish sellers don't ship to Hawaii at all.
Source: Haw. Admin. R. ch. 4-71 (List of Prohibited Animals, 4-71P), Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
Idaho
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
These are listed as invasive in Idaho, which means possessing, importing or selling them takes a permit:
- Piranhas (Serrasalmus, Rooseveltiella, Pygocentrus)
- Gars
- Bowfin
- Walking catfish (Clariidae)
- Snakeheads (Channa, Parachanna)
- Bighead, silver, black and diploid grass carp
- Rudd
- Golden orfe (ide)
- Round goby
- All Pomacea apple snails and the giant ramshorn (Marisa)
- The Malaysian trumpet snail
- Faucet snail (Bithynia tentaculata) and quilted melania (Tarebia granifera)
- Marron and other Cherax crayfish
Source: IDAPA 02.06.09 (invasive species), Idaho State Department of Agriculture.
Illinois
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Possessing any of these in Illinois takes a permit, because the state lists them as injurious:
- Nile perch and the other fish on the federal injurious list (listed in the federal section above)
- Asian swamp eel
- Tench
- Marbled crayfish and yabby
- Tubenose goby (Proterorhinus)
- New Zealand mud snail
- Aquarium plants including Hygrophila polysperma, Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa), ambulia (Limnophila sessiliflora), Lagarosiphon major, duck lettuce (Ottelia alismoides) and the giant salvinias
Source: 17 Ill. Admin. Code 805.20 (injurious species), Illinois DNR.
Indiana
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Indiana's ban covers these fish:
- Snakehead
- "Exotic catfish"
- Bighead, black and silver carp
- Rudd
- Ruffe
- Round and tubenose goby
- Stone moroko
- Zander
- Wels catfish
- White perch
Piranhas, stingrays, gars and tilapia aren't listed in Indiana's rule.
Source: 312 IAC 9-6-7, Indiana DNR.
Iowa
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Iowa lists these fish as aquatic invasive species:
- Bighead, black and silver carp
- Round goby
- Rudd
- Ruffe
- White perch
- New Zealand mud snail
The rule doesn't list any other common aquarium fish.
Source: Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-90.2, Iowa DNR.
Kansas
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Kansas prohibits these species without a wildlife importation permit:
- Walking catfish (Clarias batrachus)
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
- Silver, bighead, black and diploid grass carp
- Nile perch
- The yabby (Cherax destructor)
- Marbled and rusty crayfish
- White perch
- New Zealand mud snail
- Other invasive species
Source: K.A.R. 115-18-10, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Kentucky
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
In Kentucky, none of these may be imported, bought, sold or possessed in aquaria:
- Piranhas (listed as the subfamily Serrasalminae in its older sense, which takes in pacus and silver dollars too; see old names)
- Walking catfish (Clarias)
- Snakeheads (Channa)
- Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus). The blind cave tetra is now usually treated as a separate species, so ask KDFWR before ordering one (see old names).
- Round goby
- Sea lamprey
Silver, bighead, black and grass carp are banned, except sterile triploid grass carp. Tilapia may be sold live for aquarium use.
Source: 301 KAR 1:122, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Louisiana
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
In Louisiana, piranhas and Rio Grande cichlids may not be possessed or sold at all (one aquarium excepted). You need written permission for electric eels, snakeheads, walking catfish, Asian swamp eels, pencil catfish, rudd, all tilapia and all carp except koi, common carp and goldfish.
Apple snails are banned too. A Wildlife and Fisheries Commission rule designates all Pomacea apple snails (which includes the common mystery snail, Pomacea diffusa) as exotic fish that "shall not be maintained, sold, bartered, traded, or exchanged," and LDWF's fishing regulations say no one may possess or sell an apple snail in Louisiana.
Source: La. R.S. 56:319 and LAC 76:VII.199, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Maine
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Maine works the other way round from most states. It keeps an Unrestricted Species List of fish (including many tropical aquarium species) that need no permit, and any other live fish needs a state import permit (12 M.R.S. §12509), which Maine IF&W grants case by case and only with fish health certificates from the source. Snails and crayfish are different: none is on the list, and Maine issues no permit for an unlisted invertebrate, so they're banned. The silver and black arowanas (Osteoglossum), two sailfin plecos (Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps and P. multiradiatus) and the electric eel are on the list. Only Electrophorus electricus is named, though, so ask MDIFW about the two newer electric eel species (see old names). For stingrays, peacock bass, wolf fish and lungfish, it names just one each, Potamotrygon orbignyi, Cichla ocellaris, Hoplias malabaricus and the South American lungfish (Lepidosiren), so the rest of those groups aren't on it. For silver dollars it names three Metynnis species, M. fasciatus, M. hypsauchen and M. maculatus, so the common silver dollar (M. argenteus) and the Myleus and Myloplus silver dollars, red hooks included, aren't on it. Piranhas, snakeheads, walking catfish and arapaima are not. The Texas cichlid, the black shark and the species sold as GloFish tetras, barbs, sharks and bettas are on the list. No native or game fish is, so bringing in any of them, from perch and bass to trout and sturgeon, takes that import permit.
Source: 09-137 CMR ch. 7, the department's Unrestricted Species List and 12 M.R.S. §12509, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Maryland
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Maryland's list of banned nonnative aquatic organisms includes these fish:
- Walking catfish
- Bighead, black, silver and grass carp
- Asian swamp eel
- Candiru
- Rudd
- Red shiner
- Alabama and spotted bass
- New Zealand mud snail
- Other species on the rule's list
Cherax crayfish, the Chinese mystery snail and the Oriental weatherfish (the dojo loach) need a state permit to buy, sell, bring in, move or breed. Owning one isn't banned, but releasing one is. The rule names only the Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis), not the Japanese mystery snail. Blue and flathead catfish, and red swamp, southern white river and virile crayfish, need a state permit to be moved alive within Maryland, so they can't legally be brought home without one.
A separate Maryland rule bars importing, transporting or introducing any live snakehead (Channidae).
Source: COMAR 08.02.19.04(B), (C) and (D)(1), and 08.02.19.06, Maryland DNR.
Massachusetts
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Massachusetts requires a permit for five groups:
- Piranhas (Pygocentrus, Serrasalmus)
- Walking catfish (Clarias and Clariidae)
- Grass carp
- Rudd
- Tilapia
Otherwise, aquarium trade fish are generally exempt. The rule defines them as freshwater fish that can't survive year round in the wild north of 30° N or south of 30° S, plus goldfish, koi and guppies, so cold-hardy species aren't automatically exempt. That test catches some fish sold as tropical, including the Texas cichlid, stinging catfish, goonch catfish and electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus), whose wild ranges reach north of 30° N, and the golden dorado and hoplo catfish, which range south of 30° S. Each needs a permit unless MassWildlife agrees it's an aquarium fish. Native and game fish fail the same test, since they can survive year round in the wild north of 30° N, and keeping one alive needs a permit.
Source: 321 CMR 9.01, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Michigan
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Michigan's prohibited species include these fish:
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
- Bighead, silver, black and grass carp
- Japanese weatherfish (the dojo loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus)
- Bitterling
- Golden orfe (ide)
- Tench
- Rudd
- Eurasian ruffe
- Round goby and tubenose goby
Invasive species orders add more prohibited species, including the red swamp crayfish, the yabby (Cherax destructor) and the marbled crayfish.
The New Zealand mud snail is on Michigan's prohibited species list too, so it's banned.
See the state's prohibited and restricted species list.
Source: MCL 324.41301 (Part 413, prohibited and restricted species), Michigan DNR.
Minnesota
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Minnesota designates these fish as prohibited invasive species:
- Northern snakehead (Channa argus)
- Oriental weatherfish (the dojo loach)
- Both mosquitofish
- Bighead, black, silver, largescale silver and grass carp
- Eurasian species (roach, rudd, ruffe, tench, round and tubenose gobies and others)
- White perch
- Sea lamprey
- New Zealand mud snail and faucet snail (Bithynia tentaculata)
- Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)
Source: Minn. R. 6216.0250, Minnesota DNR.
Mississippi
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Mississippi's wildlife rule bans the import, sale and possession of four fish groups:
- Walking catfish (Clarias batrachus)
- Piranhas (Pygocentrus, Pristobrycon, Pygopristis, Serrasalmus)
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
- Swamp eels (Synbranchidae)
A separate Department of Agriculture and Commerce rule bans importing, selling or possessing many more. Fish on it include these:
- Piranhas (listed under the older subfamily Serrasalminae, which also covers pacus and silver dollars; see old names)
- Bonytongue fishes (listed as the family Osteoglossidae). That covers every arowana, and older classifications, which some references still follow, also put arapaima and the African bonytongue (Heterotis) in it
- Freshwater stingrays
- Electric eels
- African electric catfish
- Trahiras (Erythrinidae)
- Airbreathing and airsac catfish
- Candiru and other pencil catfishes (Trichomycteridae)
- Whale catfishes (Cetopsidae)
- The peacock bass Cichla ocellaris
- Pike cichlids (Crenicichla)
- Pike characins (Acestrorhynchus, Ctenolucius and Boulengerella)
- Payaras (Hydrolycus)
- Dogtooth characins (Rhaphiodon and Cynodon)
- Dourados (Salminus)
- African tigerfish (Hydrocynus), including the goliath tigerfish
- African pike (Hepsetus)
- African fin-eaters (such as Phago and Ichthyborus)
- The Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus). Whether that still reaches the blind cave tetra is unclear (see old names), so ask the Department of Agriculture and Commerce before ordering one.
- The banded tetra
- Banded knifefish (Gymnotus carapo)
- Pike topminnow (Belonesox)
- The Asian pikehead (Luciocephalus)
- Lates
- Catla
- Mahseers (Tor)
- Golden orfe (ide)
- Sea lamprey
It also covers the yabby (Cherax destructor) and the plants hydrilla, Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa), water hyacinth and water lettuce.
Mississippi also bars moving any live apple snail (family Ampullariidae, which includes the mystery snail) into or within the state (2 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 1, Subpt. 3, Ch. 01, § 134).
Source: 40 Miss. Code R. 3-1.1 and 2 Miss. Code R. 1-4-11-104 (amended Oct 20, 2024), Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
Missouri
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Missouri allows these only with the director's written approval:
- Snakeheads (Channa, Parachanna)
- Walking catfish (Clariidae)
- Black carp
- Round and tubenose goby
- All Cherax crayfish (redclaw, yabby, marron)
- The electric blue crayfish (Procambarus alleni)
- Marbled and rusty crayfish
- Chinese and Japanese mystery snails (listed as Cipangopaludina)
- The New Zealand mudsnail
Source: 3 CSR 10-4.117, Missouri Department of Conservation.
Montana
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
These species are prohibited in Montana:
- Bighead, black, silver and grass carp
- Snakeheads (Channa and Parachanna)
- Walking catfish
- Ruffe
- Round goby
- White perch
- New Zealand mud snail
Montana classifies all non-native species, so check before bringing in anything unusual.
Source: Admin. R. Mont. 12.6.2215, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Nebraska
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Nebraska makes it unlawful to buy, sell or possess live snakeheads (Channidae). Category 1 and 2 aquatic invasive species may not be possessed or transported live. Category 1 includes snakeheads, black carp, round goby, Prussian carp, marbled crayfish and several aquarium plants (Brazilian waterweed, hydrilla, parrot feather, water hyacinth, giant salvinia, water lettuce). Category 2 includes silver and bighead carp, white perch, yellow bass and rusty crayfish. The New Zealand mud snail, the red swamp crayfish and the white river crayfish (Procambarus acutus) are on those Category 1 and 2 lists too, so they're banned.
Source: 163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 2, §§ 002 and 012, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Nevada
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Nevada's prohibited species include these:
- Piranhas, plus payaras (Hydrolycus), which the rule lists with them even though payaras belong to a different family
- Freshwater stingrays
- Gars
- Snakeheads
- Walking catfish (Clarias, Dinotopterus) and the airsac catfish (Heteropneustes)
- Tigerfish and wolf fish (Hydrocynus, Hoplias)
- Tilapia (all listed genera)
- Peacock bass (Cichla)
- Nile perch
- Indian carps including Labeo rohita
- Bighead, silver and black carp
- Grass carp (certified triploids by permit)
- Bowfin
- Barramundi
- Golden orfe (ide)
- White perch
- Whale catfish (Cetopsidae)
- Flathead catfish and freshwater drum
- Goldeye and mooneye (Hiodon)
- Alewife, blueback herring and other herring and shad (gizzard and threadfin shad are exempt)
- Sticklebacks, including the brook and threespine sticklebacks
- Lampreys, including the sea lamprey
- Mexican banded tetra (Astyanax mexicanus). The blind cave tetra now usually counts as its own species (see old names), so ask NDOW before ordering one.
- Pike topminnow
- Swamp eels (Monopterus)
- Requiem sharks (Carcharhinus, such as the bull shark; the rule calls them freshwater sharks. Aquarium 'sharks' like bala and redtail sharks belong to the carp family and aren't covered)
- All non-native crayfish (Parastacidae, Cambaridae and Astacidae, with narrow exceptions)
- All Pomacea apple snails
- New Zealand mud snail
Source: NAC 503.110, Nevada Department of Wildlife.
New Hampshire
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
In New Hampshire, these fish are prohibited:
- Walking catfish
- Grass, black, bighead and silver carp
- European rudd
- Round and tubenose gobies
- Ruffe
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
All non-native crayfish are prohibited too. Tilapia and fathead minnows, which include rosy red minnows, are controlled species, so keeping them takes a possession permit, even in a home aquarium. Other ornamental aquarium fish kept in a closed system need no permit. Species not listed in any category are banned, and only exhibitors can apply for a waiver.
Most native and game fish are controlled species, and importing or keeping one, from white perch and trout to black crappie, bluegill and catfish, needs a permit. The northern and Florida largemouth share one controlled listing (see old names). Game fish missing from every list are banned. They include white crappie, the black bullhead, redear sunfish, striped bass, sauger, Alabama and spotted bass, warmouth, blue and flathead catfish, Pacific salmon, sturgeon, paddlefish and freshwater drum. The sterlet is a gray area. The state exempts ornamental aquarium fish kept in a closed system, but it may not count a sturgeon as one, so ask NH Fish and Game before ordering.
Source: N.H. Admin. Code Fis 800 (Fis 803/804, readopted eff. Apr 21, 2026), New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
New Jersey
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
New Jersey prohibits possessing what its Fish Code calls "potentially dangerous fish":
- Snakeheads (Channa spp.)
- Asian swamp eel
- Bighead, silver and diploid grass carp
- Oriental weatherfish (dojo loach)
- Flathead catfish
- Green sunfish
- Warmouth
- Brook stickleback
Source: N.J.A.C. 7:25-6 (Fish Code), NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.
New Mexico
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
New Mexico requires a permit to import a live non-domesticated animal unless the species is Group I on the Director's Species Importation List. Unlisted species default to Group IV, which is prohibited for the public. On the department's current list (dated January 3, 2023), these are Group IV:
- Snakeheads (all Channidae)
- "Piranha & Pacu"
- Walking catfish
- Labeo
- Tilapia
- Asian carps
- All apple snails (Ampullariidae)
- Southern-hemisphere crayfish (Parastacidae, which includes redclaw)
- Barramundi
- Golden orfe (ide)
- Red shiner
- New Zealand mud snail
- Non-native North American crayfish, including red swamp, white river, virile and dwarf crayfish
Arowanas other than the Asian arowana are Group I, and so are silver dollars (Metynnis). The only pike characin on the list is the hujeta. Other pike characins (Boulengerella) aren't, so like the pike killifish and the hoplo catfish, they're banned.
Payaras, dogtooth characins, freshwater barracuda and dourados are a gray area. The list allows "Characidae all species" but names no genera, and these fish sat in Characidae only under older systems. African fin-eaters are listed only as "Citharinidae sp.", another old grouping. Check with the department before ordering any of them.
White perch needs an import permit (Group III), as does every other bass, sunfish, crappie, catfish, perch, walleye, sauger, pike, trout and Pacific salmon, and the Murray cod, golden perch and the rest of their family (Percichthyidae). Atlantic salmon is Group IV and banned. Sticklebacks are Group I and need no permit, except the federally endangered unarmored threespine stickleback. Sturgeon (sterlet included), paddlefish, freshwater drum, goldeye, mooneye, shad, herring, smelt, burbot, the American eel and the sea lamprey aren't on the list, which makes them Group IV, and they're banned.
Check the current list with the department before ordering anything unusual.
Source: 19.35.7 NMAC (importation of live non-domesticated animals) and the Director's Species Importation List, New Mexico Department of Wildlife (formerly Game and Fish).
New York
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
New York's prohibited invasive species list names these fish:
- Northern, bullseye and giant snakeheads (Channa argus, C. marulius, C. micropeltes)
- Walking catfish (Clarias batrachus)
- Both mosquitofish
- Silver, largescale silver, bighead and black carp
- Oriental weatherfish (dojo loach)
- Round and tubenose gobies
- Sea lamprey
- Tench
- New Zealand mud snail and faucet snail (Bithynia tentaculata)
Three common aquarium plants, fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana), Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa) and hydrilla, are prohibited too.
Source: 6 NYCRR 575.3 (prohibited invasive species), New York State DEC.
North Carolina
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
North Carolina makes it unlawful to transport, buy, possess or sell these (rule amended effective August 1, 2026):
- Piranhas (Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, Serrasalmus)
- Redtail catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus)
- Oriental weatherfish (the dojo loach)
- Brown hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale)
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
- Walking catfish
- Asian swamp eel
- Red shiner
- Tubenose goby (Proterorhinus)
- Eels (European, shortfin and African longfin): Anguilla anguilla, A. australis, A. mossambica
- Yellow bass
- Bighead, black and silver carp
- Grass carp (triploid by permit)
- All Pomacea apple snails
- Chinese, Japanese and olive mysterysnails
- Red-rim melania (the Malaysian trumpet snail)
- All Cherax crayfish (redclaw and others)
- Marbled, rusty, virile and other listed crayfish
The blue crayfish (Procambarus alleni) isn't on the August 2026 list.
Alewife and blueback herring aren't banned statewide, but live ones can't be possessed, moved or released in the upper Little Tennessee River basin (Lake Santeetlah, Cedar Cliff Lake and the waters upstream of them).
Separately, the NC Department of Agriculture bars moving listed noxious weeds into the state. Its list takes in every federal noxious weed plus these (02 NCAC 48A .1702 and .1703):
- All Lagarosiphon
- All Salvinia except S. minima
- Crested and yellow floating hearts
- Water snowflake (Nymphoides indica)
- Australian swamp stonecrop
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- Uruguay water primrose
Source: 15A NCAC 10C .0211 on LII, whose copy predates the August 1, 2026 amendment (official current text from the NC Office of Administrative Hearings), NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
North Dakota
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
North Dakota allows these Class I prohibited aquatic nuisance species only by special permit:
- Snakeheads (Channa and Parachanna)
- Black carp
- Prussian carp
- Tubenose goby (Proterorhinus)
- New Zealand mud snail, faucet snail and banded mystery snail
- Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)
- Plants such as Brazilian waterweed
Silver, bighead and grass carp are separately listed.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish aquatic nuisance species list (the department's official list), North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Ohio
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
None of these may be possessed live, imported or sold in Ohio, which lists them as injurious aquatic invasive species:
- Snakeheads (Channa, Parachanna)
- Walking catfish
- Bighead, silver, largescale silver, black and diploid grass carp
- Bitterling, tench, golden orfe (ide), tubenose goby, white perch, threespine stickleback, sea lamprey and other listed fish
- Alabama bass and Florida bass
- The marbled crayfish, yabby and marron (listed as Cherax tenuimanus)
- New Zealand mud snail
Red swamp crayfish may be bought live only for food and must be killed within 48 hours.
Source: Ohio Admin. Code 1501:31-19-01, with the species defined in 1501:31-1-02, Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife.
Oklahoma
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Importing and possessing these are both prohibited in Oklahoma:
- Walking catfish and all Clariidae (including Heteropneustes)
- South American arowanas and arapaima (Osteoglossum, Arapaima)
- Piranhas (Serrasalmus, Pygocentrus and others)
- Hydrocynus and Salminus (dorado)
- Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus only, so ask ODWC about the other two species; see old names)
- Electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus)
- Pike topminnow (Belonesox belizanus)
- Snakeheads
- Peacock bass (Cichla temensis and C. ocellaris)
- Candiru
- Freshwater stingrays (Paratrygon, Potamotrygon, Disceus)
- Hoplias
- Rudd
- Bighead, silver and black carp
- Australian redclaw, rusty and marbled crayfish
- Alewife, blueback herring and rainbow smelt
Tilapia may not be sold as bait.
Source: Okla. Admin. Code 800:20-1-2, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Oregon
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Oregon's rule lists these as prohibited species:
- Walking catfish (Clariidae)
- Snakeheads (Channa)
- Gars (Lepisosteidae)
- Bowfin
- Pikes (Esocidae)
- Oriental weatherfish (the dojo loach)
- Asian carps (Hypophthalmichthys)
- Black carp and others
- Golden orfe (ide)
- Chinese and Japanese mystery snails (Cipangopaludina chinensis and C. japonica), not the apple snail sold as the mystery snail (see old names). Ask ODFW if you're not sure which one you have.
Piranhas are a special case. A state law keeps the meat-eating species of Pygocentrus, Serrasalmus and Pristobrycon legal, such as the red-bellied piranha, but the rule bans the rest of the subfamily Serrasalminae in its older sense, which takes in pacus and silver dollars (see old names).
Oregon also classes all crayfish in the families Cambaridae and Parastacidae (which includes blue crayfish, redclaw and other Cherax) as controlled. Non-native crayfish may not be imported except by recognized educational institutions or for immediate consumption, and propagation isn't allowed (OAR 635-056-0075). Several tilapia species and barramundi are controlled too, and importing them needs an ODFW permit.
Separately, the Oregon Department of Agriculture's noxious weed quarantine bars bringing in or selling plants that include these (OAR 603-052-1200):
- Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa)
- Hydrilla
- Parrotfeather
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- West Indian spongeplant (Limnobium laevigatum, often sold as Amazon frogbit)
- Water primrose (Ludwigia hexapetala)
- Yellow floating heart
Source: OAR 635-056-0050 (amended Aug 19, 2025) and ORS 498.242, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Pennsylvania
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Pennsylvania doesn't allow anyone to import, possess or transport these:
- Snakeheads (all species)
- Black, bighead and silver carp
- Round and tubenose gobies
- European rudd
- Zebra and quagga mussels
- Live crayfish (narrow exceptions)
Source: 58 Pa. Code § 71a.11, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Rhode Island
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Rhode Island lets you keep any aquarium trade fish without a permit, except endangered species and these prohibited fish:
- Grass carp
- Rudd
- Walking catfish (all Clariidae)
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
- Black carp
- Round and tubenose gobies
- Ruffe
All non-native crayfish are prohibited.
Source: 250-RICR-40-05-3.17 (Appendix A), Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish and Wildlife.
South Carolina
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
South Carolina bars the possession, sale or import of these:
- Candiru
- Electric eel (the statute names only Electrophorus electricus, so ask SCDNR about the newer species; see old names)
- Grass carp (sterile ones by permit)
- Walking catfish and all Clariidae
- Stinging catfish (Heteropneustes)
- Piranhas (Serrasalmus, Rooseveltiella, Pygocentrus)
- Stickleback
- Mexican banded tetra (the statute gives no scientific name). The name was once used for the blind cave tetra (see old names), so ask SCDNR before ordering one.
- Sea lamprey
- Rudd
- Snakeheads
- Rusty crayfish
- Other non-native species not established in the state, except recognized pet trade species
Source: S.C. Code § 50-13-1630, South Carolina DNR.
South Dakota
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
South Dakota bars anyone from possessing, importing, shipping or transporting a listed aquatic invasive species without the commission's authorization (SDCL 41-13A-2). The list includes these:
- Giant, northern, bullseye and blotched snakeheads
- Black, grass, bighead, silver and common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Koi were long counted as common carp but are now often treated as a separate species (see old names), so ask GF&P before bringing koi into the state.
- Rudd
- Western mosquitofish
- Round goby
- White perch
- Invertebrates including red-rimmed melania (the Malaysian trumpet snail), red swamp and rusty crayfish, New Zealand mudsnail and Asian clam
Source: S.D. Admin. R. 41:10:04:01 (aquatic invasive species) (also on LII), South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.
Tennessee
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Tennessee puts all non-native freshwater aquatic life in Class V, but fish, crustaceans and mollusks held in aquaria are exempt, except these:
- Snakeheads (Channidae)
- Swamp eels (Synbranchidae)
- Black, bighead and silver carp
- Ruffe
- Round goby
- Rudd
- Blueback herring
- Marbled crayfish
- Zebra mussels, the New Zealand mud snail and a few other invertebrates
African clawed frogs are also Class V.
Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1660-01-18-.03, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Texas
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) keeps one of the longest lists in the country. Species on it are classed as exotic, harmful or potentially harmful, and with narrow exceptions no one may possess them or put them into Texas waters without a TPWD permit. Permits cover zoological display, research, aquaculture (only blue, Mozambique, Nile and Wami tilapia, triploid grass carp and Pacific white and Pacific blue shrimp), aquatic weed control, water spinach culture and limited special purposes such as transit through Texas. None of those covers keeping a fish as a pet. There's one narrow exception. You can keep those four tilapia without a permit for your own non-commercial use in a closed recirculating system, under conditions the rules set out. You can read the list itself or the plain-English version on the TPWD prohibited species page.
Aquarium keepers are most likely to run into these fish groups on the Texas list:
- Freshwater stingrays (all Potamotrygonidae)
- Piranhas (Catoprion, Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, Serrasalmus) and dourados (Salminus)
- Payaras and vampire tetras (Hydrolycus, Rhaphiodon, Cynodon)
- Arapaima (all species of the genus Arapaima). Arowanas and the African bonytongue (Heterotis) aren't on the list.
- Electric eels (listed as Electrophorus electricus. The rule says reclassification doesn't take a species off the list, which should cover E. voltai and E. varii, split from it in 2019) and electric catfishes (Malapteruridae)
- Trahiras and wolf fish (all Erythrinidae, which includes Hoplias)
- Pike characins (Ctenolucius, Boulengerella and Acestrorhynchus), African pike (Hepsetidae), African tigerfish (Hydrocynus) and pikeheads (Luciocephalus)
- African "fin-eater" distichodontids (Belonophago, Ichthyborus, Phago and related genera)
- Snakeheads (Channidae), walking catfishes (Clariidae) and air sac catfishes (Heteropneustidae)
- Swamp eels (Synbranchidae), whale catfishes (Cetopsidae) and candiru and all other pencil catfishes (Trichomycteridae)
- Pike killifish (Belonesox belizanus)
- Tilapia (Coelotilapia, Coptodon, Heterotilapia, Oreochromis, Pelmatolapia, Sarotherodon and Tilapia)
- Carps and minnows, including all Labeo except the black sharkminnow (Labeo chrysophekadion), Tor and Neolissochilus mahseers, Cirrhinus, catla (listed as Gibelion, now usually placed in Labeo, which Texas also lists), the giant barb (Catlocarpio), the stone moroko (Pseudorasbora parva), rudds, roaches and ide, and the Asian carps
- Nile perch and barramundi (Lates), temperate perches (Percichthyidae), and most temperate basses (Moronidae)
- Freshwater eels (Anguillidae, except the American eel), round gobies (Neogobius), the Amur sleeper, and Eurasian perches and pikeperches
- Sea lamprey
- Murray cod, golden perch and the rest of their family (Percichthyidae)
The rule also says a scientific name change doesn't, by itself, take a species off the list. Some fish once placed in a listed genus have since been moved, such as the red-tail and rainbow sharks that used to be classed as Labeo, and the rule doesn't say whether they're still covered. If a fish you want used to carry a listed name, ask TPWD in writing. Gars aren't on the Texas list.
The list reaches invertebrates and plants as well, and these are prohibited:
- Apple snails of the genus Pomacea, except the spiketop applesnail. The rule lists it as "P. bridgesi (sometimes also known as P. diffusa; spiketop applesnail)", so the common mystery snail, Pomacea diffusa, is allowed in Texas.
- Giant ramshorn snails (Marisa)
- All snails of the family Hydrobiidae. The New Zealand mudsnail, now placed in Tateidae, stays covered under the rule's reclassification clause.
- Zebra and quagga mussels
- All southern-hemisphere crayfish (Parastacidae, which includes redclaw and yabbies)
- Hydrilla
- Ambulia (Limnophila sessiliflora)
- Lagarosiphon major (sold as "Elodea crispa")
- Duck-lettuce (Ottelia alismoides)
- Dotted duckweed (Landoltia punctata)
- Crested floating heart (Nymphoides cristata)
- All Salvinia
- Water lettuce
- Water hyacinth
- Water spinach
Federal rules point the same way, since USDA APHIS lets Pomacea diffusa move between states without a permit but bars other apple snails from interstate movement except for research.
Source: 31 TAC 57.112 (the list) and following sections, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Utah
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Utah's classification table lists these as prohibited:
- Piranhas (Catoprion, Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, Serrasalmus)
- Red-bellied pacu (Piaractus brachypomus)
- Tilapia
- Gars
- Bowfin
- Asian swamp eel
- Northern snakehead
- Walking catfish
- Nile perch
- Bighead, black and silver carp
- Diploid grass carp
- The channeled apple snail
- Chinese mystery snail
- Red-rimmed melania (the Malaysian trumpet snail)
- New Zealand mud snail and faucet snail (Bithynia tentaculata)
- Redclaw, marron (listed as Cherax tenuimanus), yabby, signal, rusty and marbled crayfish
The table also bans several other fish:
- Tench
- Red shiner
- Golden orfe (ide)
- The tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus
- The parasitic catfishes (Cetopsidae and Trichomycteridae, which includes candiru)
- Alewife, brook stickleback, burbot, flathead catfish and sea lamprey
Fish not on the table are presumed prohibited, but the table allows any ornamental aquatic species that isn't classed as prohibited. Fathead minnows, which include rosy red minnows, are classed as controlled, so keeping them takes a certificate of registration.
Most game fish, and the virile crayfish, are controlled too, and keeping one takes a certificate of registration. Trout, perch, walleye, white and striped bass and their hybrid, the northern and Florida largemouth (see old names), smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish and bullheads all need one. The ornamental exception doesn't help game fish that are missing from the table, so white perch, sauger, Alabama, spotted and yellow bass, warmouth, redear, pumpkinseed and other sunfish, salmon, blue catfish, sturgeon other than the sterlet, paddlefish, shad and the American eel are banned. The sterlet, Murray cod, golden perch and Australian bass count as ornamental species, so they need no permit.
Utah also requires every shipment of live aquatic animals into the state to travel with a certificate of veterinary inspection and a Utah Department of Agriculture and Food entry permit number.
Source: Utah Admin. Code R657-3c-5, which adopts the DWR's species classification table, and R657-3c-10, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Vermont
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Vermont requires a commissioner's permit for these fish:
- Snakeheads (Channa, Parachanna)
- Walking catfish
- Asian swamp eel
- Oriental weather loach (dojo)
- Mosquitofish
- Bitterling
- Golden orfe (ide)
- Crucian and Prussian carp
- Grass, bighead, silver and black carp
- Round and tubenose gobies
- Ruffe
- Rudd
- Zander
- Tench
- Alewife and gizzard shad
Species on the unrestricted list, or unlisted species whose whole native range lies between 30 degrees N and 30 degrees S, need no permit. Piranhas aren't on the unrestricted list. The red-bellied piranha's range reaches past 30° S, so it needs a permit. Other piranhas need one only if their range runs outside 30° N to 30° S.
Vermont requires a permit for any transgenic fish its unrestricted list doesn't name. The GloFish zebra danio is named, but other GloFish aren't, so they need one.
The range rule clears several predators that aren't on the list, including payaras, tigerfish, African pike, fin-eaters, pikeheads, the pike killifish and the whale catfish. The electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus), rohu and calbasu aren't cleared, since their ranges reach north of 30° N.
Vermont's restricted list needs no commissioner's permit, though other state permits can apply to importing or stocking, and most native game fish are on it, including largemouth bass under the old name that also takes in the Florida bass (see old names), and bluegill, redear, pumpkinseed, redbreast sunfish and Atlantic salmon. The lake sturgeon is on it too, but it's state-endangered, so keeping one needs an endangered-species permit. Game fish missing from every list are another matter. White, yellow, hybrid striped, Alabama and spotted bass, the saugeye, the hybrid bluegill, green sunfish, warmouth, other sunfish, Arctic char, cutthroat and golden trout, grayling, Pacific salmon, blue and flathead catfish, the black bullhead, paddlefish, goldeye, the threespine stickleback and non-native sturgeon (the sterlet included) and shovelnose sturgeon all need a permit.
Source: Code Vt. R. 12-010-077 (prohibited, restricted and unrestricted fish list), Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
Virginia
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Virginia lists these as predatory or undesirable, so a permit is needed to import, possess or sell them:
- Piranhas (Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, Serrasalmus and related genera)
- Snakeheads (Channa, Parachanna)
- All air-breathing catfish (Clariidae)
- Tilapia spp.
- Asian swamp eel
- Oriental weatherfish
- Red shiner
- Grass, bighead, silver and black carp
- Rudd
- Tench
- Ruffe
- Tubenose goby (Proterorhinus)
- All Cherax crayfish (redclaw, marron, yabby and others)
- New Zealand mud snail
- Alabama bass
African dwarf frogs (Hymenochirus) and clawed frogs are also on the list.
Source: 4VAC15-30-40, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Washington
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Washington classes snakeheads (Channa), walking catfish (Clariidae) and bighead, black, silver and largescale silver carp as prohibited level 1.
Prohibited level 3 goes further:
- Gars (Lepisosteidae)
- Bowfin
- Piranhas (Pygocentrus, Serrasalmus)
- Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas, which includes the rosy red feeder minnow)
- Golden orfe (ide)
- Rudd
- Round goby
- New Zealand mud snail
- All crayfish of the families Cambaridae and Parastacidae except Engaeus, which covers blue crayfish, CPOs and redclaw
Diploid grass carp are prohibited, and tilapia (Oreochromis, Sarotherodon, Tilapia) are regulated type A.
Separately, the Washington State Department of Agriculture's noxious weed quarantine bars bringing in, selling or moving many aquarium and pond plants, including these (WAC 16-752-610 and 16-752-620):
- Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)
- Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa)
- Hydrilla
- Lagarosiphon major
- Parrotfeather
- Variable-leaf milfoil
- South American spongeplant (Limnobium laevigatum, often sold as Amazon frogbit)
- Water primroses (Ludwigia hexapetala and L. peploides)
- Yellow floating heart
- Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii)
Source: WAC 220-640-030 to -060, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
West Virginia
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
West Virginia law makes it illegal to possess, sell or import live snakeheads (Channa spp.), bighead, silver, largescale silver or black carp, or diploid grass carp.
A separate state law generally requires a permit to import live wildlife, so ask the DNR about anything unusual.
Source: W. Va. Code § 20-2-64(d) and W. Va. Code § 20-2-13, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Wisconsin
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
Wisconsin's prohibited invasive species include snakeheads (Channidae), grass, silver, bighead and black carp, and other invasive species.
Wisconsin also bans the red shiner and tench, the New Zealand mud snail and the faucet snail, and every non-native crayfish (red swamp, white river, signal, dwarf and Cherax crayfish included) that isn't already established in the state. Its restricted list adds the round and tubenose gobies, ruffe, white perch, the western and eastern mosquitofish, alewife, rainbow smelt, threespine stickleback and sea lamprey. Each one needs a permit, even in an aquarium. The banded mystery snail and the Chinese and Japanese mystery snails are on the restricted list too, so moving, selling or releasing one needs a permit, and we can't legally ship them to Wisconsin. Non-native fish that can survive Wisconsin winters are banned unless a state list allows them. That rule catches freshwater eels (Anguilla), the blueback herring, striped and hybrid striped bass, Alabama, spotted and Florida bass, and every non-native sturgeon except the sterlet, which the aquarium list allows. It also catches the Asian swamp eel, the alligator gar, redbreast and other non-native sunfish, cutthroat and golden trout, Dolly Varden, bull trout, grayling, and Pacific salmon other than coho, Chinook and pink salmon. Whether the Murray cod and golden perch can survive below 38°F, and so fall under the ban, is unsettled. Those three salmon, rainbow, brown and tiger trout, arctic char, Atlantic salmon, redear and tilapia are on the state's aquaculture list, so they can be kept in a safe facility without a DNR permit. Tropical fish that can't survive water below 38°F aren't covered by the ban.
Source: Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 and Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.02 and NR 40.05, Wisconsin DNR.
Wyoming
- Everything on the federal list above, which applies in every state
The aquatic invasive species Wyoming prohibits include these:
- Snakeheads (Channa, Parachanna)
- Bighead, silver and black carp
- Brook stickleback
- Hydrilla
- Several invertebrates, including the New Zealand mud snail
Tropical fish kept in aquaria or closed ornamental ponds need no permit (Wyoming defines tropical fish as the genera Tilapia, Coelotilapia, Coptodon, Heterotilapia and Pelmatolapia, plus any fish not documented to survive below 50 F).
Anything else needs a permit, and that includes every native and game fish, since they all survive below 50 F.
Source: Wyo. Game and Fish Comm'n regs ch. 69 (cold-blooded wildlife) and ch. 62 (aquatic invasive species), Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
When the rule uses an old name
Fish names change faster than wildlife rules do. When a species is split, moved to another family or renamed, the rule keeps the wording it was written with. Usually that makes no difference, but in a few places it changes which fish a rule reaches. Each state entry above names the agency to ask.
The blind cave tetra runs into two separate problems. Kentucky, Mississippi and Nevada list Astyanax mexicanus, which Nevada calls the Mexican banded tetra. The blind cave tetra was long treated as a cave form of that species, but current fish references now usually treat it as its own species, Astyanax jordani, so it's no longer clear those listings reach it.
Arkansas, California and South Carolina have a different problem. Their rules use an old common name, "Mexican banded tetra" (or "banded tetra" in California), that was once applied to the blind cave tetra. Whether a cave tetra counts depends on how the agency reads that name today.
Piranhas, pacus and silver dollars used to share one subfamily, Serrasalminae. Current fish references split them three ways and keep that name for the piranhas and the Metynnis silver dollars, while pacus and Myleus silver dollars get subfamilies of their own. Georgia's rule uses the modern subfamily, so Metynnis silver dollars are clearly covered there, and only pacus and Myleus silver dollars are in doubt. Kentucky, Mississippi and Oregon use the older grouping, which covers pacus and silver dollars alike.
Until 2019 there was one recognized electric eel, Electrophorus electricus. It has since been split into three species. Florida, Arizona, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Maine name only E. electricus, so on a strict reading the two newer species, E. voltai and E. varii, aren't named. In Maine, where the list names the fish you may keep, that cuts the other way, since the newer species may not be covered by the exemption. Texas is different. Its rule says a reclassified species stays on the list, so the split doesn't open a gap there.
Largemouth bass went through a name change of its own. Rules written years ago use Micropterus salmoides for the ordinary northern largemouth. Under current taxonomy that name belongs to the Florida bass, and the northern fish is Micropterus nigricans. Vermont lists "largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)", and the map reads that as covering both fish, so neither needs a permit there. Colorado lists largemouth bass by its common name only, which covers both fish too. Utah and New Hampshire list M. salmoides as a controlled species, and both fish need a permit. Florida's rule names the northern largemouth, and its own Florida bass needs no permit. Ohio bans the Florida bass by name but doesn't list the northern largemouth. Hawaii's Restricted Part B list names only the Florida bass, which needs a permit and a site inspection. The northern largemouth isn't on any Hawaii list, so hobbyists can't keep it. The map shows the pair as Largemouth bass (northern) and Largemouth bass (Florida).
Koi matter only in South Dakota. The state lists common carp (Cyprinus carpio) as an aquatic invasive species with no exception for ornamental fish, and koi were long lumped in with common carp. Current fish references now often treat koi as a separate East Asian species, Cyprinus rubrofuscus, which the list doesn't name.
Snails bring two opposite mix-ups. Arizona's rule lists every Pomacea apple snail and gives "Chinese mystery snail" as one of their common names, even though the real Chinese mystery snail belongs to a different family, Viviparidae. Oregon's rule goes the other way. It names the real Chinese and Japanese mystery snails (Viviparidae), not the Pomacea apple snail sold in the aquarium trade as the mystery snail.
More on the federal rules
Injurious wildlife (Lacey Act, 18 U.S.C. 42)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists certain animals as "injurious wildlife" under federal law. The fish it names (50 CFR 16.13) are listed near the top of this page.
The same section also sets health-certification rules for importing salmon and trout, which don't affect tropical fish.
In 2017 a federal appeals court ruled in U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers v. Zinke that this law doesn't cover shipments between states inside the continental US. It still bars importing listed species into the US, and shipping them between the continental US (which, for this law, includes Alaska), Washington, DC, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US territories. There's one catch for Alaska. The route can't pass through Canada, because that counts as an import. The Fish and Wildlife Service's summary explains what changed. In practice this makes little difference to aquarium keepers, because nearly every state bans snakeheads, walking catfish and Asian carps on its own. The ruling doesn't make these fish legal to own, and moving one into a state that bans it is still a federal Lacey Act crime.
State law violations become federal ones
Another part of the Lacey Act makes it unlawful "to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce" any fish or wildlife "taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State." Penalties depend on what the seller or buyer knew or should have known (16 U.S.C. 3373). Shipping a fish into a state that bans it can therefore break federal law as well as state law, and the law reaches the buyer as well as the seller.
Endangered species
Species listed under the Endangered Species Act need federal permits for import and interstate sale. The one aquarium keepers ask about most is the Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus). It has been listed as endangered "wherever found" since 1976 (50 CFR 17.11; FWS ECOS) and is in CITES Appendix I, where it was first listed in 1975 (Species+). The Endangered Species Act bars importing it and selling or shipping it across state lines in commerce, and federal permits are limited to purposes such as science or species recovery, not the pet trade. That applies to captive-bred fish too. (A US trade group, USAQUA, says it filed a petition in 2025 to change that.) The paroon shark (Pangasius sanitwongsei), listed as endangered "wherever found" since 1970, falls under the same limits. For any other species, check the Fish and Wildlife Service's ECOS species search rather than relying on a list in a blog post.
Illegal fish to own: the groups that come up most
A handful of fish show up on state lists again and again:
- Snakeheads (Channa and Parachanna). Banned or permit-only in nearly every state, and federally listed as injurious.
- Walking catfish and other air-breathing catfish (Clariidae). Federally listed as injurious and banned in most states.
- Piranhas (Pygocentrus, Serrasalmus, Pristobrycon, Pygopristis and related genera). Banned or permit-only in close to half the states. Some states list the whole subfamily or family, which can catch pacus and silver dollars too.
- Asian carps (bighead, silver, black and diploid grass carp). Banned almost everywhere.
- Freshwater stingrays, arowanas and arapaima, electric eels, gars, trahiras and tilapia. Banned or restricted in a smaller group of states.
In most states a fish that isn't on any list can be kept. Hawaii, Maine and New Mexico work the other way. They list what's allowed, and anything unlisted is prohibited or needs a permit. Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont work the same way on paper, but their exemptions cover most aquarium fish.
Snails are the exception people miss. Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and North Carolina ban every Pomacea species, New Mexico puts all apple snails in Group IV, Georgia licenses them only for scientific purposes, Louisiana bans keeping or selling any apple snail, and Mississippi bars moving any live apple snail into or within the state, so the common mystery snail is caught in those states even though federal rules and Texas allow it. Crayfish are the other one. Arizona, California, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington restrict most or all non-native crayfish, and Arkansas and Missouri ban the blue crayfish (Procambarus alleni) and all Cherax by name.
The wildlife agency isn't always the only regulator. Mississippi's agriculture department bans far more aquarium fish than its wildlife agency does, and agriculture plant quarantines in Florida, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington bar common aquarium and pond plants. Not every state's agriculture rules have been checked, so ask both your state wildlife agency and your state agriculture department before you buy.
How to check a fish before you buy it
- Get the scientific name. State rules are written by genus and family, so "red-tail catfish" or "wolf fish" won't tell you much. The seller should be able to give you the scientific name.
- Open your state's rule using the link above and search the page for the genus and the family.
- Watch for whole-family listings. "All Serrasalmidae" or "all Clariidae" covers far more species than the common name suggests.
- Check your county or city. Some local governments add their own limits on exotic animals.
- If the rule is unclear, call the agency and ask for the answer in writing. A phone call costs nothing compared with a seized fish and a fine.
FAQ
Is it illegal to own a piranha?
In close to half the states, yes. Texas, California, Florida, Oklahoma, the Carolinas and plenty of others either ban them outright or only allow them with a permit. Arkansas lists the whole piranha and pacu family, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi list the subfamily Serrasalminae, which can reach pacus and silver dollars too, and Hawaii, New Mexico and Utah restrict some pacus by name. Oregon's the odd one out. It exempts the common piranhas and bans the rest of the subfamily.
Are snakeheads legal anywhere in the US?
Not for a hobbyist, practically speaking. They're federally listed as injurious, and nearly every state either bans them or wants a permit you won't get for a pet.
Are arowanas illegal?
The Asian arowana is the one to worry about. It's federally endangered, so it can't be imported or sold across state lines for the pet trade. Federal agents have seized them from sellers and private owners, and in 2024 an Arizona man was federally charged with possessing 26 of them (AZFamily). South American arowanas (Osteoglossum) are a different story. They're legal in most states, but Oklahoma and Mississippi ban them, and Florida restricts every arowana except the silver.
Are mystery snails legal?
In Texas, yes. The rule's spiketop applesnail exception names Pomacea diffusa, and federal rules let P. diffusa move between states without a permit. Elsewhere, it depends on the state. Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and North Carolina ban every Pomacea species, New Mexico puts all apple snails in Group IV, and Georgia licenses them only for scientific purposes. Mississippi bars moving any live apple snail (family Ampullariidae) into or within the state, and Louisiana bans keeping or selling any Pomacea apple snail, mystery snails included.
Can I keep a fish I already own if I move to a state that bans it?
Usually not, unless you get a permit. Call the new state's wildlife agency before you move. And never release a fish you don't want into the wild. That's illegal almost everywhere, including under federal rules for imported fish.
Will a seller stop me from ordering a fish that's illegal in my state?
Don't count on it. Some sellers screen orders by state and some don't, and once the fish arrives, it's yours to answer for. Check your state's rules, agriculture department rules included, before you order, and ask for the scientific name if the listing doesn't give it. What to check before you buy fish online covers the rest of a seller's policies.
