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[Fish Antics]

I would like to keep this thread just for updates on the subject

Feedback from Ornamental Fish Policy Working group Meeting 20.03.09

At a previous Meeting the Transition 1 Noxious list was put through. It will mean that the following fish will be placed on the noxious list most likely in June. I have highlighted those species that may affect hobbyists.

NOX I O U S F I S H
(Noxious in all jurisdictions)
FA M I LY S P E C I F I C N A M E COMMON NAME
Acestrorhynchidae Acestrorhynchus microlepis
Alestiidae Hydrocynus spp Pike characin
Giant tigerfish
Amiidae Amia calva Bowfin
Anabantidae Anabas testudineus Climbing perch
Bagridae Anaspidoglanis macrostoma Flatnose catfish
Bagrus ubangensis Ubangi shovelnose catfish
Centrarchidae — entire family Banded or spotted sunfish,
largemouth bass, bluegill
Centropomidae Centropomus (12 spp) Snooks
Lates microlepis Forktail lates
Lates niloticus Nile perch
Channidae Channa spp Snake head
Chacidae Chaca chaca Angler, frogmouth and
squarehead catfishes
Characidae Colossoma spp
Serrasalmus spp Redeye piranha
Pygocentrus spp Red piranha
Cichlidae Boulengerochromis microlepis Giant cichlid, yellow belly cichlid
Oreochromis spp Tilapia
Hemichromis fasciatus Banded jewelfish
Sargochromis spp Pink, slender, greenwoods, mortimers,
cunean and green happy
Sarotherodon spp
Melanotheron melanotheron Blackchin tilapia
Serranochromis spp
Tilapia spp. (All except T. buttikoferi) Redbelly tilapia
28 A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA
FA M I LY S P E C I F I C N A M E COMMON NAME
Citharinidae entire subfamily Ichthyborinae African pike-characin,
tubenose poacher, fin eater
Clariidae Clarias spp Walking catfish
Cobitidae Misgurnus anguillicaudatus Weatherloach
Cyprinidae Aristichthys nobilis Bighead carp
Barbodes hexagonolepis Copper mahseer
Catla catla Catla
Catlocarpio siamensis Giant barb
Cirrhinus cirrhosus Mrigal
Ctenopharyngodon idella Grass carp
Cyprinus carpio ‘European’ carp
Labeo calabasu and L. rohita Orange fin labeo, rohu.
Zacco platypus Freshwater minnow
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Silver carp
Tor spp (17) River carp, Deccan, high backed, jungha,
putitor, Thai mahseer
Notropis spp Shiners
Phoxinus erythrogaster Southern redbelly dace
Doradidae Oxydoras spp (4) Ripsaw catfish, black doras,
black shielded catfish
Elassomatidae Elassoma spp Pygmy sunfish
Eleotridae Oxyeleotris marmorata Marble goby
Erythrinidae Erythrinus spp Trahiras
Hoplerythrinus spp
Hoplias spp
Esocidae Esox spp Pikes
Gasterosteidae Pungitius pungitius Ninespine stickleback
Apeltes quadracus Four spined stickleback
Culaea inconstans
Gobiidae Acanthogobius flavimanus Yellow fin goby
Tridentiger trigonocephalus Chameleon goby, striped goby
Gymnarchidae Gymnarchus niloticus Aba aba
Gymnotidae Electrophorus electricus Electric eel
Hepsetidae Hepsetus odoe African pike
Heteropneustidae Heteropneustes fossilis Stinging catfish
Lepisosteidae Atractosteus (3 spp) American, armoured or
Lepisiosteus (4 spp) alligator gars
Malapteruridae Malapterurus spp Electric catfish
Mormyridae Mormyrops anguilloides Bottlenose, Cornish jack
Poeciliidae Belonesox belizanus Pike minnow, pike killifish
Gambusia spp Mosquito fish
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA 29
FA M I LY S P E C I F I C N A M E COMMON NAME
Polyodontidae Polyodon spathula Mississippi paddlefish
Psephurus gladius Chinese swordfish
Protopteridae Protopterus annectens African lungfish
Schilbeidae Schilbe mystus African butter catfish
Siluridae Silurus spp European catfish, wels catfish
Trichomycteridae Paravandelia oxyptera Parasitic catfish
Valenciidae Valencia hispanica Valencia toothcarp
Cambaridae Procambarus clarkii Red swamp crayfish


There are a number of Fish that are in the country at the moment that are not currently on the Noxious or Allowable lists. There are some 470 fish of approximately some 1100 odd species in the country from the current grey list that are yet to be assigned to a colour purple, yellow or blue status. For Industry/Hobby to look at, at a later date. These fish have now been placed on a number of lists for consideration. These are the “Grey List” of fish that have been assessed as posing a Risk and to be placed on the noxious list with consideration to Hobbyist and industry groups. The “ Purple List” which are those species that they are looking to “ fast track” to the Noxious list as they are considered high risk but considered of little interest to Hobbyist or industry. These fish have had a basic Risk assessment done on them. Any Species that the group objects to will be taken off those lists and placed back on the “ Yellow” and “ Blue” lists which are fish which need to have a more detailed risk assessment preformed as they are of interest to either Industry or Hobbyist groups.
There are some 470 fish of approximately some 1100 odd species in the country from the current grey list that are yet to be assigned to a colour purple, yellow or blue status. For Industry/Hobby to look at, at a later date.


This Meeting was to run through the “Purple list”, the purple list is a number of species that are looking to go to the noxious list and are considered to be of little interest to the hobbyist or industry areas. These will be “Fast tracked” using a basic Risk Matrix to the noxious list unless objected to by members of the working group. Whereby they will return to the “Blue” or “Yellow” lists to be further assessed at a later date. The Purple, Yellow and Blue lists are subsets of the Grey List of species within Australia, and the total grey list is of species not currently on any noxious list or on an allowable import list. A couple of species have been raised as possible concern to either Industry or hobbyists. These are The Clown Knife fish species and the Redfin Perch. These will be now taken off the Purple list and placed on the “Yellow or Blue” list for further assessment. It is also worth noting that Koi have also been given special consideration separate from domestic Carp. They have also been returned to the Yellow and Blue list for assessment at a later date.




It is the intention of the Government to have all fish species on either the Noxious or allowable lists. This is of major concern to hobbyists and industry as there are a number of species that are being kept that we don’t need to be added to the import list but do not want to see added to the Noxious list. At present we cannot get ten species allowed annually from the current import protocols, so the fear is that getting the expected hundreds of species we would like to see allowable would never be added to the allowable import list.
It is also our concern that if commonly kept fish are declared noxious that the average law abiding citizen will at the stroke of a pen be classed a criminal for having these fish.


The subject of the Pearl Cichlid Geophagus braziliensis had now gone feral in Western Australia and is now reportedly present in the Swan River. They have also been found in a stream in Tweed Heads in NSW, and they are also reported to be feral in a river system in Queensland, and are reported to be becoming more cold-temperate in some locations, and will probably be placed onto the Noxious list due to these three outbreaks, which are unable to be controlled at present by Fisheries. More details as they come to hand.

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